Final Regulations Issued under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury jointly issued final regulations (?Ç£Final Regulations?Ç¥) implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (the ?Ç£Act?Ç¥). ?áIn general, the Final Regulations ensure that health plan features, such as copays, deductibles, and visit-limits, are not more restrictive for mental health/substance abuse disorder benefits than they are for medical/surgical benefits. In connection with the Final Regulations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a set of FAQs addressing implementation of the Act, as amended by the Affordable Care Act.?á The Final Regulations generally apply to group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage for plan years beginning on or after July 1, 2014.?á Until the Final Regulations become effective, health plans and issuers subject to the Act must continue to comply with the Interim Final Regulations issued under the Act. A copy of the Final Regulations is available here. The FAQs are available here.