WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor

H.B. 1197

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, I have today
vetoed House Bill 1197.

This bill would repeal the mental health parity legislation enacted during the 1993 Session
(Chapter 633 of the Acts of 1993) as well as existing mental health and substance abuse
mandates. It would provide for an altered system of health insurance that puts mental
health and substance abuse coverage on parity with other types of physical illness.

Senate Bill 756, which was passed by the General Assembly and signed by me on February
28, 1994, accomplishes the same purpose. Therefore, it is not necessary for me to sign
House Bill 1197.

Sincerely,

William Donald Schaefer

Governor

House Bill No. 1197

AN ACT concerning

Health Insurance - Mental Illness, Emotional Disorders, Drug Abuse, and Alcohol Abuse

FOR the purpose of repealing certain provisions of law prohibiting certain hospital or
major medical contracts or certificates delivered or issued for delivery in the State
by insurers, nonprofit health service plans, or health maintenance organizations on
a group or individual basis that provide benefits or services for diseases or sickness
from discriminating against any person with a mental illness, emotional disorder, or
a drug abuse or alcohol abuse disorder; repealing certain provisions of law allowing
a waiver of coverage for mental illness under certain circumstances; prohibiting
certain hospital or major medical contracts or certificates delivered or issued for
delivery in the State by an insurer, a nonprofit health service plan, or a health
maintenance organization on a group or individual basis from discriminating against
any person with a mental illness, an emotional disorder, or a drug abuse or alcohol
abuse disorder by failing to provide coverage for treatment of those illnesses and
disorders under the same terms and conditions provided for any other type of health
care; providing certain exceptions; repealing certain provisions of law requiring
insurers and nonprofit health service plans that propose to issue group hospital
policies to offer benefits for the costs of psychiatric care through partial
hospitalization; allowing insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health
maintenance organizations to use managed care in delivering services under this
Act; requiring certain inpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization benefits
under certain terms and conditions in certain contracts; defining certain terms;
repealing certain statutory termination provisions; providing for the construction
and application of this Act; providing for a delayed effective date for certain parts
of this Act; making this Act an emergency measure; and generally relating to health
insurance coverage for drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and certain mental illness mental
illness, emotional disorders, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse.

BY repealing

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