What does Mental Health Parity law require?

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (federal parity law) was enacted in 2008 and requires insurance coverage for mental health conditions, including substance use disorders, to be no more restrictive than insurance coverage for other medical conditions.

What is mental health insurance parity?

Mental health parity describes the equal treatment of mental health conditions and substance use disorders in insurance plans. If the health insurance plan is very limited, then mental health coverage will be similarly limited even in a state with a strong parity law or in a plan that is subject to federal parity.

Who enforces Mental Health Parity?

The Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight summarizes the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and highlights the key changes from previous policy. The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services summarizes the parity requirements for Medicaid and CHIP programs.

How is the Mental Health Parity Act funded?

Prevention and Early Intervention programs implemented by CalMHSA are funded by counties through the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63). Prop. 63 provides the funding and framework needed to expand mental health services to previously underserved populations and all of California’s diverse communities.

Is mental health parity working?

According to some recent reports and measures, the answer is no. Mental health parity is a straightforward concept: insurance coverage for mental health conditions, including substance abuse disorder (SUD) treatment, should be equal to coverage for any other medical conditions.

How can I improve my mental health parity?

Mental Health Parity

1. Improving Health expand. Affordable Care Act Coverage Expansions & Consumer Protections expand.
2. Responding to Crises expand. Crisis Response expand.
3. Supporting Community Inclusion and Non-Discrimination expand.
4. Stopping Harmful Practices expand.

Is PTSD a parity diagnosis?

STATE LAW AND INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR PTSD Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, and Vermont are among the states that require coverage parity for all of the mental disorders, including PTSD, classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (currently DSM-IV).

What is the mental health parity law and why is it important?

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) is a federal law that generally prevents group health plans and health insurance issuers that provide mental health or substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits from imposing less favorable benefit limitations on those …

When did mental health and substance use disorder Parity Act?

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 requires health insurers and group health plans to provide the same level of benefits for mental and/or substance use treatment and services that they do for medical/surgical care.

What is the Mental Health Parity Law in PA?

Pennsylvania’s alcohol and substance use treatment mandate law, known as Act 106, mandates certain minimum benefits. The Act 106 mandate is triggered if fewer days or treatment sessions are covered by your plan or as required by the parity law, whether you have a large or small group health insurance plan.

Who is covered by the mental health parity and Addiction Equity Act?

The law’s requirements apply only to large group health plans and health insurance issuers that choose to include MH/SUD benefits in their benefit packages.

How does Act 106 affect mental health parity?

However, Act 106 only requires a minimum level of benefits. If your plan offers M/S benefits that are more generous than the MH/SUD benefits mandated by Act 106, you will be entitled to more generous MH/SUD benefits because the parity law says they must still be parallel to those M/S benefits.

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