What Do Parity Bills Provide?
The Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003 was introduced in the Senate and House last month. The bills, which apply only to group health plans offering mental health benefits, have the following provisions:
| •. | Prohibit more burdensome financial requirements, including higher copayments and deductibles, than those for nonpsychiatric medical benefits. | ||||
| •. | Prohibit more stringent treatment limitations, including fewer hospital days and outpatient visits, than those for other medical benefits. | ||||
| •. | Provide full parity for mental health conditions listed in the latest version of APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the industry standard manual used by Medicare, Medicaid, the Food and Drug Administration, the legal system, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (after which the legislation is modeled), and parity laws in 13 states. | ||||
| •. | Provide coverage contingent on the mental health condition being included in an authorized treatment plan that follows standard protocols and meets medically necessary criteria. | ||||
| •. | Exempt from compliance companies with 50 or fewer employees. | ||||
| •. | No requirements for benefits related to alcohol or drug abuse. | ||||
