House passes bill to strengthen mental health parity protections for workers

The House voted 220-205 today to pass legislation to hold employer-based health plans more accountable for improper denials of mental health and substance use benefits. The Mental Health Matters Act would give the Department of Labor more authority to enforce plan requirements under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and Employee Retirement Income Security Act, ban forced arbitration agreements when plans improperly deny benefits and ensure a fair standard of review by the courts. The bill also would provide grants to develop, recruit and retain school-based mental health professionals and link schools with local mental health systems, among other provisions.