Info

Congressional Hearings on Mental Health Parity

I haven't had time to properly interlink these pages; to 
navigate, use back browser or return (go to if not initially
there)  the main index page of this section of mmy site. 


Congressional hearings are usually chalk full of information 
of all kinds, and they are a good way to learn the identity of
the major players on an issue.   

These are just the hearings that I know of.  Generally, 
 transcripts
of most recent House hearings are available at thomas.loc.gov.  
Transcripts of Congressional hearings are available from 
Government Printing OFfice for $3 to $10 each, usually from
the committee staff for free, and at the government documents
sections of many public and university libraries, at which 
usually you need the call numbers I've provided from CIS index
to find them.  It can take a very long time for these transcripts
to be printed - and House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health
is running nearly two years behind, though that is a bit
unusual. Some libraries have some of them on microfiche, for
which you need a different number that is available in CIS index.

Some hearing transcripts are available also on other HOuse web
sites.  
 

House of Representatives. Committee on Education and Labor. 
Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations.  Feb 2,- 22 1994.
103-105. 95-H341-21. Y4.ED 8/1:103-105.

House of Representatives. Committee on Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Health and the Environment. "Health Care Reform"
(Part 6) Serail no. 103-91. 94-H361-49. Y4.EN 2/3: 103-91

United States Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs.
Health Care Reform and the Fedearl Emplyees Health Benefits 
Program.May 10 1994
S. Hrg. 103-1001. 94-    Y4.G74.9:S.Hrg.103-1001.

Senate. Committee on Labor and Human Resources. 
Coverage for Mental and Addictive Disorders in Health Care Reform:
A Cost-Effective Approach. (Examining the importance of including
coverage for metnal and addictive disorders in the health care
reform proposal) May 13 1993
93-S541-29  Y4.L11/4:S.HRG.103-211

Senate. Committee on Labor and Human Resources.
Health Security Act of 1993: Examing the Administration's
Health Security Act, to Establish Comprehensive Health Care
for Every American. October 20n- Nov 16, 1993
94-S541-9.   Y4.L11/4:S.HRG.103-16/pt.2

part 4, above: Jan 26 through March 8, 1993 (those are the 
dates and part numbers it gives) same call number /pt.4
94-S541-28

House of Representatives. Comitttee on Post Office and
Civil Service 
Supplementary Report on Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Benefits under the Federal Employees Health BEnefits Program
March 1993
93-H622-2 Y4.P84/10:M52

House of Representatives.  Committee on Post Office and Civil
Service. Subcommittee on compesnation and Employee Benefits.
Reform of Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
June 20 - July 18, 1990.
91-H621-14.7   Y4.P84/10:101-58.

House of Representatives. Committee on Post Office and Civil
Service. Subcommittee on Compensation and Employee Benefits
"Recommendations for Reform of the Federal Employees Benefits
Program (FEHBP)" May 20, 1992.
92-H621-39.1 Y4.P84/10:102-56

House of Representatives. Committee on Ways and Means.
Subcommittee on Health. "Health Insurance Options: State
Mandates on Health Benefits" July 29, 1991.
92-H781-28.3   Y4.W36:102-53. 

House of Representatives. Committee on Ways and Means. 
Comprehensive Health Insurance Legislation, including H.R. 3205, The 
"Health Insurance Coverage and Cost Eontainment Act of 1991"
Oct 8 through Oct 24, 1991. Two parts.  
92-H781-57.4 Y4.W36:102-80

House of Representatives. committee on Ways and Means. 
Subcommittee on Health. Health Care Reform. Vol XI.
Oct 7 thru Feb 4 1994. 
95-H781-12. Y4.W36:103-90

Volume III above: March 30, Apr 22, 1993. 
93-H781-39.6, 39.7, 39.10  Y4.W36:103-14.

Hearing BEfore the Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human
Servies, Education & RElated Agencies of the House Committee
on Appropriations, 104th Congress. 363 (1996)

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Health, House Ways and Means, 
"Hearing on Assessing Health Care Quality", FEb 26, 1998,
statement by Jill Kanin-Lovers, VP Global Human Resources 
Opeartions, IBM Corp on behalf of Corporate Health Care 
Coalition. Information on this hearing is on line, but the
transcript has not yet been printed, and info on it is not
available in CIS index.  

House, Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations, Committee on
Education and the Workforce - 106th Congress:

   May 6, 1999 - Hearing on "IMpact of External Review of 
   Health Care Quality" Y4.ED8/1:106-33. Available on line.

   April 20, 1999 - Hearing on "Employer Health Plan
   Accountability: Do Plan Participants Have Adequate Protections"
   Y4.ED8/1:106-24. Available on line.   

   FEbruary 24, 1999 - Hearing on "ERISA: A quarter Century
   of providing Workers Health Insurance"  Y4.ED8/1:106-5
   (or EN8) Available on-line at thomas.loc.gov. 

  Summary of 5/26/99 hearing on ERISA 

  Summary of Spring, 1999 Education and Workforce
hearings on health care  

House, Comm on Education and the Workforce. Subcom on Employer-
   Employee Relations.  Hearing on H.R. 1415 (patients' rights
   bill). 10/23/97.  Y4.ED8/1:105-61.  On line?   

House Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health and Environment  
Protecting Patients and Acccess to Quality Care and Information. Also called America's Health: Protecting Patients Rights.
June 23, 1999.  Y4.C73/8:106-48. Available on line.

House Commerce Committee, Subcom. on Health and Environment.
Managed Care Quality.  10/28/97.  Y4.C73/8:  105-64. 
Available on line. 

House Ways and Means, Subcom on Health.  9/25/97. 
Implementation of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act Y4.W36: 105-29. On line? 

SEntate Labor and Human Resources Committee May 1998
hearing onHealth Care Quality; Health Plan Appeals and Grievances, 
May 19 1998 Y4.L11/4:S.HRG.105-560. 

Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee on April 1998
on S. 1712, the Health Care QUEST Act. Burlington VT April 20 1998. . Health Care Quality, Education, Security and Trust Act.
Y4.L11/4:S.HRG.105-513. (note, the fact it is called an act
does not mean it passed)

More Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee:

Federal Legislation Relative to Health Care Quality
3/24/98. On S 1719 and S 644. Y4.L11/4:S.HRG. 105-510.

Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996 first year Implementation
concerns 3/19/98 Y4.L11/4:S.HRG. 105-490.

From Senate Special Committee on Aging:

Medicaid Managed Care: The Elderly and Others with Special
Needs 
6/24,7,8,15,22/97.  pp 755-76 contain a report from the
Bazeltine Center for Health Law ( See my national
resources page) ; an issue paper Protecting Consumer
Rights in PUblic Systems and Managed Mental Health Care Policy
Services, published by them in March 1997 (poss. November).  

Transferring Health Care Systems for 21st Century Issues and 
Opportunities for Improved Health Care. Forum to examine
issues pertinent to health care for individuals with
chronic or disabling conditions.  5/13/98.

From Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions.

Medical Necessity: From Theory to Practice. 3/2/99 (pss May)
Y4.L11/4:S.HRG.106-9.

Key Patients Protections: Lessons from the field 3/11/98 Y4.L11/4:S.HRG. 106-10

Patients' Bill of Rights Act of 1999. 6/17/1999. S. 326 contains
an amendment.  Y1.1/5:106-82.  (has S 433 category instead of
S431.)

Group Health Plan Implementation Information and Coverage 
Determination Standards: Hearing to review DOL proposal on 
benefits review process by health care plans covered under ERISA.
1/20/99.  Y4.L11/4:S.HRG.106-2.  

Senate Appropriations: Subcom. on Labor, HHS, and Education
Appropriations.  ERISA Preemption: Remedies for Denied or
Delayed Health Claims, Special Hearing. 5/14/98. 
Y4.AP6/2:S.HRG.105-859.

From 1997 CIS:

Senate Labor and Human Resources Com. 5/20/97. Health Care Quality. Y4.L11/4:S.HRG.105-19.  

Health Care Quality and Consumer Protection. 3/6/97.  
Y4.L11/4:S>HRG.105-87.

Contract Issues and Quality STandards  for Managed Care. 5/30/96.
House Commerce Committee. Subcom on Health and the Environment.
Y4.C73/8:104-110. On line?  


 The following court cases currently in appeals (and one older
court case) represent challenges to existing patients' rights
and mental health parity laws. 

Aetna v. TExas Dept of Insurance - may be trying to throw out
the WHOLE parity law as per ERISA.  1997?  Houston Federal
Distric Court "Judge Gilmore's court".  From the 5th Circuit.

Bauman v. U.S. Healthcare. U.S. Healthcare, INc. (Bauman)
3rd Circuit Court ___ Sept 16 1999.
   1999 WL 728474 (3rd Cir. (NJ))

Dukes v. U.S. Healthcare, Inc. (57 F.3d 350 (3d Cir) (1995))
   said to have set previous standard of ERISA preemption limits.
 
A key court case that was decided by
the Supreme Court is The District of Columbia vs. The Greater
Washington Board of Trade. (U.S. Supreme Court Reports, 121 L Ed 2nd (the lawyer's edition), 513 and 113 U.S. Supreme Court
Reporter, 580 (1992).  Several justices wrote a nice dissent.
I have more court cases on ERISA, most current, at  My Congressional hearings page