Topeka — The Kansas Senate rejected a proposal Tuesday to require insurance plans to provide the same amount of coverage for mental illnesses as for physical illnesses.
Instead, the Senate approved a bill, 27-13, that would require limited mental health benefits.
The limited plan was pushed by Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, who said it represented a compromise between two camps mental health advocates who wanted full parity between mental and physical coverage, and business and insurance interests that don't want employers required to provide coverage of mental illnesses.
"My goal is to get something passed," Praeger said.
Praeger's compromise bill would limit coverage of mental illnesses to 45 days of hospital care and 45 days of outpatient care. "To remove the limits would make it more difficult to pass" in the House and Senate, she said.
During floor debate, Sen. Jim Barone, D-Frontenac, tried to amend the bill to provide full parity. He said it made no sense to provide full coverage for physical illnesses caused by risky behavior but not cover unavoidable mental illnesses.
Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka said that treating mental and physical illnesses differently was discriminatory. "Let's be leaders in our state," he said.
He chastised Praeger and read quotes from her in which she said she would never compromise on the issue.
Praeger later said she felt that a compromise passed was better than nothing at all. Opposed by Praeger, Barone's parity amendment failed on a voice vote.
Earlier, Praeger fended off attacks from the other side as conservative Republican senators tried to remove the mental health coverage requirements and exempt employers with up to 50 employees.
Sen. Karin Brownlee, R-Olathe, argued that requiring mental health coverage would increase premiums and cause some employers to drop health insurance.
Praeger said studies show that premiums would go up a fraction of a percentage point. Long-term costs of providing the coverage would actually go down because if more people received treatment they would be more productive at work, she said.
Brownlee's amendment to leave it up to employers whether to provide mental health coverage lost, 24-15.
On a final vote on the bill, Democrats who were unhappy with the limited coverage came back to Praeger's side, saying that some coverage was better than nothing. All 10 Senate Democrats and 17 Republicans voted for the bill. The 13 who voted against the final bill were all Republicans.
Praeger's bill goes back to the House. Rep. Robert Tomlinson, R-Roeland Park, had sent the Senate a version of the bill that provided no new coverage, but simply called for a study on the cost of providing mental health benefits under the state employee plan.
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