S. 2647: Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-03-07 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-03-07 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2016

Plain summary

Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and Internal Revenue Code to direct the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury to require group health plans and health insurers to disclose specified information regarding compliance of plans or coverage with requirements for parity between mental health and substance use disorder benefits and medical and surgical benefits. Information that must be disclosed includes the specific analyses performed to ensure parity, findings and conclusions regarding parity in applying nonquantitative treatment limitations (e.g., tiered benefits, step therapy, or preauthorization), and a comparison of denials of claims between types of benefits. HHS, Labor, and Treasury must: (1) issue guidance on the process for current and potential participants and beneficiaries to file formal complaints of plans or insurers being in violation of the requirement for parity, and (2) conduct audits of plans and insurers to determine compliance with parity requirements and publish information from those audits. HHS must establish a consumer parity unit to collect and respond to complaints and provide information to consumers on parity. Plans and insurers must respond to consumer complaints received by the unit. State health insurance commissioners must report on compliance of plans and insurers with parity requirements and include a comparison of benefits. The Government Accountability Office must report on HHS, Labor, and Treasury efforts to enforce parity.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] reported raising $5.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s2647.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s2647 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114