What is the Mental Health Parity Act?
The Mental Health Parity Act, also known as the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, is a law that seeks to ensure those with mental health and substance use disorder conditions have access to the same level of health care coverage as those with other medical and surgical conditions. This law requires health insurance plans to provide equal coverage for mental health and substance use disorder services, including inpatient and outpatient care, as well as prescription drugs and devices. The Mental Health Parity Act also prevents health insurance companies from setting different limits for mental health and substance use disorder services. For example, if a health plan places a limit on hospital days, it must also provide the same number of days for mental health and addiction treatment. This law also prohibits insurance companies from imposing higher copays or deductibles for mental health and substance use disorder services. The Mental Health Parity Act applies to all health plans that offer mental health and addiction benefit plans, including employer group health plans, individual health plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, and Medicaid managed care organizations. In Virginia, employers are required to comply with the Mental Health Parity Act if they have more than 50 employees and off mental health and substance use disorder benefits. In addition, the Mental Health Parity Act ensures that mental health and substance use disorder services are available in a similar way to other medical and surgical services.
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