Mental Health and the Affordable Care Act -MiamiHerald.com
Amid the firestorm of pointless political noise, two important milestones during the final months of 2013 are worth noting.
• On November 8, the Obama administration published the long-awaited final rules of the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that would require insurers to cover mental health and substance abuse disorders.
This finally levels the playing field — bringing it on par with physical disorders.
Along with the mental health parity provisions, the Affordable Care Act will provide the largest behavioral health coverage expansion for our generation, covering more than 60 million Americans.
Another historic shift starting in the current year is that insurance companies will no longer be able to deny you coverage for pre-existing conditions, including a history of mental illness.
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