California Emergency Regulations To Enforce Mental Health Parity Related To Autism Treatment Services

March 11, 2013
On March 12, 2013, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced that effective March 11, 2013, under a newly approved emergency regulation health plans must cover medically necessary treatment of autism, including behavioral treatment such as applied behavior analysis (ABA). The emergency regulations prohibit visit limits on coverage and prohibit dollar limits on coverage, unless they apply equally to all benefits under the policy. The emergency regulations clarify that health plans cannot require that a child diagnosed with autism undergo cognitive testing before approving services. Health plans cannot deny coverage for ABA on the grounds that it . . .