51+ Mental Health Parity Act Requirements

Apr 02, 2009

The Federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPA), which becomes effective October 3, 2009, amends ERISA and requires "parity" between the financial requirements and treatment limitations applied to medical and/or surgical benefits and mental health and substance use disorder benefits.

Among other things, MHPA specifically requires the following to be in parity:

Deductibles
Copayments
Co-insurance
Out-of-pocket expenses
Limits on frequency of treatment
Limits on number of visits
Limits on number of days of coverage

Many states already have parity legislation in place, and where state mandates are more restrictive, they will supersede these Federal MHPA requirements.

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions for details.

Over the coming months, Anthem Blue Cross will be working with employers to bring their benefits in compliance and will keep you informed.