Recent Developments in Mental Health Parity.

Abstract

Although the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and associated regulations have been around for a while, behavioral health advocacy groups have expressed significant concern about a lack of enforcement to ensure compliance among health plans and employers. Federal and state governments have stepped up efforts to encourage MHPAEA compliance. This article presents recent developments in mental health parity, including a summary of the parity law requirements, new warning signs for nonquantitative treatment limitations, a confusing answer to a frequently asked question from the U.S. Department of Labor, an update on enforcement developments and the results of recent Milliman research on cost patterns since MHPAEA went into effect.