The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 was designed to address disparities in mental health and substance abuse coverage in health insurance plans. The law applies to group health insurance plans with more than 50 insured employees. It requires that dollar limits on mental health and substance abuse benefits—both annual and lifetime—be not lower than dollar limits for medical and surgical benefits. A plan that does not place such limits on medical and surgical benefits may not impose them on mental health coverage.
Things To Know
- The act was designed to address disparities in mental health and substance abuse coverage.
The law applies only to health plans that cover mental disorders in the first place, and does not require coverage where none is already provided.
The purpose of the law is to eliminate unequal health treatment and assist individuals with getting needed care for mental health disorders and substance abuse.
