I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1797
To require employer health benefit plans to meet standards relating to the
nondiscriminatory treatment of neurobiological disorders, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 8, 1995
Ms. DELAURO (for herself, Mr. MCHALE, Mr. WARD, and Mr. GEJDENSON)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Economic and
Educational Opportunities, and Commerce, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To require employer health benefit plans to meet standards
relating 
to 
the 
nondiscriminatory 
treatment 
of
neurobiological disorders, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Equitable Health Care
for Neurobiological Disorders Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
HR 1797 IH
(1) there are sufficient neuroscientific data to
document that many severe ‘‘mental’’ illnesses are
actually physical illnesses known as neurobiological
disorders that are characterized by significant
neuroanatomical and neurochemical abnormalities;
(2) American families should have adequate
health insurance protection for the costs of treating
neurobiological disorders that is commensurate with
the protections provided for other illnesses;
(3) currently, many public and private health
insurance programs discriminate against persons
with neurobiological disorders by providing more re-
strictive coverage for treatments of those illnesses in
comparison to coverage provided for treatments of
other medical problems;
(4) unequal health insurance coverage contrib-
utes to the destructive and unfair stigmatization of
persons with neurobiological disorders that are as
beyond the control of the individuals as are cancer,
diabetes, and other serious physical health problems;
(5) about 95 percent of what is known about
both normal and abnormal structure and function of
the brain has been learned in the last 10 years, but
millions of severely mentally ill people have yet to
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benefit from these startling research advances in
clinical and basic neuroscience; and
(6) according to the National Institutes of Men-
tal Health, equitable insurance coverage for severe
mental disorders will yield $2.2 billion annually in
net savings through decreased use of general medical
services and a substantial decrease in social costs.
SEC. 3. STANDARDS FOR NONDISCRIMINATORY TREAT-
MENT 
OF 
NEUROBIOLOGICAL 
DISORDERS
FOR EMPLOYER HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The standards for the nondiscrim-
inatory and equitable treatment by employer health bene-
fit plans of individuals with neurobiological disorders are
requirements that such plans (and carriers offering such
plans) provide for coverage of services that are essential
to the effective treatment of neurobiological disorders in
a manner that—
(1) is not more restrictive than coverage pro-
vided for other major physical illnesses;
(2) provides adequate financial protection to the
person requiring the medical treatment for a
neurobiological disorder; and
(3) is consistent with effective and common
methods of controlling health care costs for other
major physical illnesses.