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Article: Congress To Expand Mental Health Benefits.
- Article from:
- Kiplinger Business Forecasts
- Article date:
- October 2, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline:Martha Lynn Craver
Congress will pass a new mental health parity bill this week, requiring mental health benefits offered by employers to be on a par with benefits for physical illness. But in a key change from what sponsors wanted, the new law will apply only to businesses with more than 50 workers. And all businesses will benefit from a likely yearlong delay of the date by which firms must comply with the law.
Since most employers have already completed negotiations with their health insurers for the '02 plan year, lawmakers will agree to a one-year extension of the provisions of the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, which expired Sept. 30. Look ...