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Mental Health Parity

 Comparison of Federal and Mass. MH Parity Laws- includes protections offered by each, and which law applies. (January 2010)

Federal Law

• American Psychiatric Association Raising Awareness of Mental Health Parity Law - MGH Community News, December 2014
• Federal Parity Rules Issued - MGH Community News, November 2013
• Affordable Care Act Requires Insurers to Offer Mental Health Coverage - MGH Community News, February 2013
• Federal Mental Health & Substance Abuse Parity- Update - MGH Community News, November 2009
  • Update- Interim Rules for Plans Effective July 1, 2010 - MGH Community News, June 2010
• New Federal Mental Health Parity Law- MGH Community News, October, 2008
  • Note: effective date orig 1/1/10, now 7/1/10 - See article, MGH Community News, February 2010
    On January 29, 2010, the federal government released interim regulations on implementint the act. The interim regulations go into effect on April 5, 2010 and apply to group insurance plans with plan years starting on July 1, 2010 or later. Although the Wellstone-Domenici law also applies to Medicaid managed care plans, these plans are not included in the interim regulations.
  • Additional Details - MGH Community News, February, 2009

• Fact Sheets
  • APApractice.org Q& A
    http://www.apapractice.org/apo/in_the_news/parity_law_q_a.GenericArticle.Single.articleLink.GenericArticle.Single.file.tmp/Wellstone-DomeniciQ&A.pdf
  • National Alliance of the Mentally Ill Fact Sheet – Federal
    http://www.namimass.org/policy/NAMI%20Mass%20Fed.parity.Q&A..doc

Massachusetts State Law

• Mental Health Parity Law (Massachusetts) - Expansion Effective July 2009 - MGH Community News, July/August 2009
  • Mental Health Parity Law (Massachusetts- effective 2001 until July 2009 ) - MGH Community News, May 2000

• Fact Sheet
  • National Alliance of the Mentally Ill Fact Sheet – Mass./State
    http://www.namimass.org/policy/state%20mental%20health%20parity%20fact%20sheet.doc