Law Equalizes Coverage For Mental, Physical Care

from Washington Post: 



An estimated 113 million Americans, including hundreds of thousands in the Washington region, will receive better insurance coverage for their mental health and substance abuse problems because of landmark legislation that for the first time requires mental and physical illnesses to be treated equally.
The law is a culmination of a decade of lobbying and negotiating among advocates for the mentally ill, the insurance industry, the business community -- including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- and doctors' groups. The change, which was included in the economic rescue package signed by President Bush last week, will take effect Jan. 1, 2010, for most plans. Businesses with 50 or fewer employees would be exempt.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Congress Approves Extension of Mental Health Parity Act

Dec 24, 2007

Congress Wednesday passed legislation extending the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 until the end of 2008. Included in the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2007 (H.R. 3997), the extension will prohibit group health plans that provide medical, surgical care and mental health care from imposing coverage limits on mental health coverage that don’t apply to other types of medical treatment, and imposes a $100 fine per day for violations.

The extension does not eliminate a loophole in the 1996 law that allows group health plans to impose higher co-payments, deductibles and coinsurance payments for mental health services. The AHA has long advocated parity for hospital days, outpatient visits, co-pays, deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket costs for in-network services.

Source: AHA News Press Release