Government Issues Final Mental Health Parity Rules

The government just issued the final mental health parity rules. In "Final Rules under the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008; Technical Amendment to External Review for Multi-State Plan Program", the government states:

"This document contains final rules implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which requires parity between mental health or substance use disorder benefits and medical/surgical benefits with respect to financial requirements and treatment limitations under group health plans and group and individual health insurance coverage. This document also contains a technical amendment relating to external review with respect to the multi-state plan program administered by the Office of Personnel Management."

The Final regulation is available at www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/mhpaeafinalrule.pdf
FAQs about ACA Implementation Part XVII and Mental Health Parity Implementation are available at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-aca17.html
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Study: Consistency of Large Employer and Group Health Plan Benefits with Requirements of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 is available at www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/hhswellstonedomenicimhpaealargeemployerandghpbconsistency.pdf
DOL news release is available at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/2013/13-2158-NAT.html