OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Walz Applauds Landmark Mental-Health Parity Rule

Press Release

By: Tim Walz
By: Tim Walz
Date: Nov. 8, 2013
Location: Mankato, MN
Issues: Health and Health Care

Today, Representative Tim Walz released the following statement after the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury jointly issued a final rule increasing parity between mental health/substance use disorder benefits and medical/surgical benefits in group and individual health plans. Walz has long advocated the Administration to issue this final rule.

"I'm pleased the Administration issued this long-overdue rule today. Today's announcement will put mental health issues on the same playing field as physical ones in the eyes of insurance companies," Walz said. "While the ruling today is certainly historic, there is more work to be done. I will continue to reach across the aisle and work with anyone who wishes to end stigma and increase access to mental health care for all Americans."

The final rule issued today implements the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and ensures that health plan features like co-pays, deductibles and visits limits are generally not more restrictive for mental health/substance abuse disorders benefits than they are for medical/surgical benefits.

Today's action also includes specific additional consumer protections, such as:

Ensuring that parity applies to intermediate levels of care received in residential treatment or intensive outpatient settings;
Clarifying the scope of the transparency required by health plans, including the disclosure rights of plan participants, to ensure compliance with the law;
Clarifying that parity applies to all plan standards, including geographic limits, facility-type limits and network adequacy; and
Eliminating an exception to the existing parity rule that was determined to be confusing, unnecessary and open to abuse.
The final rule may be viewed at: http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2013-27086_PI.pdf

A fact sheet on the rule is available here: http://cms.hhs.gov/CCIIO/Programs-and-Initiatives/Other-Insurance-Protections/mhpaea_factsheet.html


Source
arrow_upward