Congress Passes New Benefit Standards for Group Health Plans

For the first time in nearly ten years, Congress passed not one, but three new benefit standards for group health plans.  In recent months, Congress passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, Michelle's Law (providing medical leave for college students), and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.  Further, this trend appears poised to continue.  The House recently passed two more group health plan standards: the Health Insurance Source of Injury Clarification Act of 2008 (H.R. 6908) (requiring pre-enrollment disclosure of source of injury limitations) and the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007 (H.R. 758) (requiring minimum hospital stay after a lumpectomy or mastectomy). The Senate has yet to address either of these bills.  The three new benefit mandates are discussed in the attached memo.