What is parity in mental health care?

Mental health parity describes the equal treatment of mental health conditions and substance use disorders in insurance plans.

What is the Mental Health Parity Compliance Act of 2019?

Introduced in House (06/10/2019) This bill revises the mental health parity rules to require private health insurance plans that offer both medical and mental health coverage to prepare a comparative analysis of nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs).

What are the federal regulations that require parity?

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (the Federal Parity Law ) was passed in 2008 and requires health insurance plans to cover behavioral health benefits and physical health benefits equally.

Why is mental health parity needed?

The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA) provided that large group health plans cannot impose annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health benefits that are less favorable than any such limits imposed on medical/surgical benefits.

How many states have mental health parity laws?

Thirty-three other states
Thirty-three other states currently have mental health parity laws. California’s law is similar to those of 18 states that have restricted their parity laws to either SMI or “biologically based” conditions. The law is more narrowly defined than 15 other state parity laws that cover all mental health diagnoses.

How do you report parity?

To report problems with parity or for other practice management issues, APA members may call the Practice Management HelpLine at (800) 343-4671 or send an email to [email protected]. Please include the following information: a brief statement of problem. your name and contact information (email/phone)

Who is exempt from mental health parity?

Self-insured small private employers that have 50 or fewer employees; Group health plans and health insurance issuers that are exempt from MHPAEA based on their increased cost (except as noted below).