The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury issued final rules implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Act). Though interim final rules implementing the Act were published and became effective in 2010, these final rules will become effective 60 days after their November 13, 2013 publication date.
Under the Act, group health plans and group and individual health insurance coverage are required to treat mental health and substance use disorder benefits on par with medical/surgical benefits. Though the Act does not require group health plans to provide mental health benefits or substance use disorder benefits, if they are provided, financial requirements and treatment limitations cannot be more restrictive for mental health and substance use disorders than they are for medical/surgical benefits.
Financial requirements include deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximums, but do not include aggregate lifetime or annual dollar limits. Treatment limitations include limits on the frequency of treatment, number of visits, days of coverage, days in a waiting period, and other similar limits on the scope or duration of treatment.
According to a press release issued by the administration, the final rules include specific consumer protections, such as:
- Ensuring that parity applies to intermediate levels of care received in residential treatment or intensive outpatient settings;
- Clarifying the scope of transparency required by health plans, including the disclosure rights of plan participants, to ensure compliance with the law;
- Clarifying that parity applies to all plan standards, including geographic limits, facility-type limits and network adequacy; and
- Eliminating an exception to the existing parity rule that was determined to be confusing, unnecessary and open to abuse.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, “This final rule breaks down barriers that stand in the way of treatment and recovery services for millions of Americans. Building on these rules, the Affordable Care Act is expanding mental health and substance use disorder benefits and parity protections to 62 million Americans. This historic expansion will help make treatment more affordable and accessible.”
The final rules generally apply to group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage for plan years beginning on or after July 1, 2014; however, they do not apply to small employers with between 2 and 50 employees. Since the Affordable Care Act extended the Act to grandfathered and non-grandfathered individual health insurance coverage, the final rules apply to individual coverage with policy years beginning on or after July 1, 2014.
At Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk, we are committed to guiding you through the constantly changing health care reform landscape. Check back with us periodically for future informational updates.
If you have specific questions about the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act or the Affordable Care Act or if you are ready to take action and would like to see how Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk can help, contact us.
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