Archive for the ‘Mental Health Parity’ Category

An Overview of the MHPAEA Regulation Requirements

By Jennifer M. McCormick, Esq. of The Phia Group, LLC

Joint issuance of the interim final mental health parity regulations by the DOL, DHHS, and Treasury offer guidance for employers in ensuring compliance with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). Read more

Mental health and substance abuse care can’t be handled differently from medical and surgical treatment, according to the new rules. Also, employee assistance programs cannot serve as mental health care gatekeepers, benefit experts say.

Employers would no longer be permitted to require separate deductibles for mental health and medical treatment under new proposed parity rules issued last week by the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury. Read more

By ROBERT PEAR – The New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration issued new rules on Friday that promise to improve insurance coverage of mental health care for more than 140 million people insured through their jobs.

In general, under the rules, employers and group health plans cannot provide less coverage for mental health care than for the treatment of physical conditions like cancer and heart disease. Read more

The U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury have jointly issued new rules providing parity for consumers enrolled in group health plans who need treatment for mental health or substance use disorders.

The new rules prohibit group health insurance plans — typically offered by employers — from restricting access to care by limiting benefits and requiring higher patient costs than those that apply to general medical or surgical benefits. The rules implement the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). Read more

by Barbra Rabinowitz, Berry,Odom & Rabinowitz, LLP

Final regulations under the Internal Revenue Code have recently been issued which require group health plan sponsors to self-report the applicable excise tax resulting from a failure to comply with several federal group health plan requirements. While the excise tax liability associated with failure to comply with such requirements is not new, the final regulations now require the plan sponsor/employer to self-report such liability. Read more

Joanne Wojcik

For many benefit managers, the economic downturn resulted in a domino effect of events this year.

Perhaps the single biggest benefits event came early, when Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which provided a 65% subsidy to laid-off workers who purchased COBRA coverage from their employers. Read more

The Health and Human Services Secretary issued a statement on October 2, 2009 indicating that employers awaiting guidance before implementing changes to medical plans required by the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (“MHPAEA”) should not expect regulations to be issued until January 2010 – after the law goes into effect for calendar year plans. Although the law required that regulations be issued by October 3, 2009, HHS and the Labor and Treasury Departments are still working to develop them. In the absence of regulations, plan sponsors should make a reasonable “good faith” effort to adhere to the law’s intent.

August 25, 2009 – 1 PM EST

Free Webinar on Mental Health Parity Act presented by Interface EAP, The Phia Group, and The Law Offices of Russo & Minchoff.

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Questions and Answers for Psychologists

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was enacted into law on October 3, 2008. This publication from the APA Practice Organization provides answers to questions from psychologists about the new Act and what it means for professional psychology. Read more

by Kate O’Sullivan, www.CFO.com 

Plans can no longer require higher co-pays, higher deductibles, or lower lifetime or annual dollar limits for mental health than for physical and surgical coverage.

Since provisions of the new mental-health-parity law apply to benefit-plan years beginning in January 2010, companies should assess their benefits this summer and make the necessary adjustments in time for fall open-enrollment periods, experts suggest. Read more

The ERISA Industry Committee, www.eric.org

Washington, D.C. — The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) earlier today submitted comments to the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration in response to a “request for information” regarding the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). Read more

Many self-insured employers are concerned the Mental Health Parity Act may increase their healthcare costs. Currently, those most affected will be plans that now offer limited services or have high co-pays and deductibles. Read more

May 19th, Adam V. Russo, Esq. spoke at the TABA 2009 TPA College of Knowledge Conference held at the Renaissance Hotel in Richardson, TX.

Click  here to see Attorney Russo’s entire presentation.

by Joanne Wojcik of Business Insurance News, www.businessinsurance.com

Only a few employers are considering dropping mental health coverage in response to new parity rules that take effect for plan years beginning after Oct. 3, according to a survey. Read more