Federal Government Proposes Rules To Strengthen Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act

The federal departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury released proposed rules to strengthen the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The rules address non-quantitative treatment limitations related to network composition and enforcement for group health plans and health insurers. Comments are due by October 3, 2023.

The MHPAEA was enacted in 2008. It prohibits private health insurance companies from imposing copayments, prior authorization and other requirements on mental health or substance use disorder benefits that are more restrictive than those imposed on medical and surgical benefits. However, despite these prohibitions, people insured by . . .