Approaches in Implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act: Best Practices From Th
More: SMA16-4983.pdf
OVERVIEW
The purpose of this report is to describe best practices identified by states in implementing and monitoring compliance with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA or “parity”). MHPAEA is a federal law requiring that if certain health plans provide coverage for mental health or substance use disorder services, they must provide it in a manner that is comparable to coverage provided for medical and surgical care (see Department of Labor’s Mental Health and Substance Use Parity webpage or Center for Medicare & Medicaid/Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight’s webpage on the MHPAEA for the final rule). States may also have their own laws regarding parity, or requiring a minimum level of coverage for mental health and substance use disorders. Seven states were selected for interviews about their experiences, processes, and challenges with implementing and ensuring compliance with MHPAEA. These states shared strategies they have developed and are using to ensure parity compliance. This report describes these implementation strategies, outlines mechanisms for monitoring compliance, and provides links to helpful resources for state insurance commissioners and other interested parties. Some of these practices may be useful tools for other states to consider and adopt to ensure compliance.