157 
SEC. 5. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDIES 
AND REPORTS. 
(a) IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Comptroller General 
of the United States shall conduct a study 
that evaluates the effect of the implemen-
tation of the amendments made by this 
Act on— 
(A) the cost of health insurance 
coverage; 
(B) access to health insurance cov-
erage (including the availability of in- 
network providers); 
(C) the quality of health care; 
(D) Medicare, Medicaid, and State 
and local mental health and sub-
stance abuse treatment spending; 
(E) the number of individuals 
with private insurance who received 
publicly funded health care for men-
tal health and substance-related dis-
orders; 
(F) spending on public services, 
such as the criminal justice system, 
special education, and income assist-
ance programs; 
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158 
(G) the use of medical manage-
ment of mental health and substance- 
related disorder benefits and medical 
necessity 
determinations 
by 
group 
health plans (and health insurance 
issuers offering health insurance cov-
erage in connection with such plans) 
and timely access by participants and 
beneficiaries 
to 
clinically-indicated 
care for mental health and substance- 
use disorders; and 
(H) other matters as determined 
appropriate by the Comptroller Gen-
eral. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General shall prepare and 
submit to the appropriate committees of 
the Congress a report containing the re-
sults of the study conducted under para-
graph (1). 
(b) BIANNUAL REPORT ON OBSTACLES IN OB-
TAINING
COVERAGE.—Every 
two 
years, 
the 
Comptroller General shall submit to each 
House of the Congress a report on obstacles 
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159 
that individuals face in obtaining mental 
health and substance-related disorder care 
under their health plans. 
(c) UNIFORM
PATIENT
PLACEMENT
CRI-
TERIA.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comp-
troller General shall submit to each House of 
the Congress a report on availability of uni-
form patient placement criteria for mental 
health and substance-related disorders that 
could be used by group health plans and 
health insurance issuers to guide determina-
tions of medical necessity and the extent to 
which health plans utilize such criteria. If 
such criteria do not exist, the report shall in-
clude recommendations on a process for devel-
oping such criteria. 
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Union Calendar No. 328 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1424 
[Report No. 110–374, Parts I, II, and III] 
A BILL 
To amend section 712 of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974, section 2705 of the 
Public Health Service Act, and section 9812 of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require eq-
uity in the provision of mental health and sub-
stance-related disorder benefits under group 
health plans. 
MARCH 4, 2008 
Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
with an amendment; committed to the Committee of 
the Whole House on the State of the Union and or-
dered to be printed 
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