The U.S. Department of Labor released a revised tool to help employers comply with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). This self-compliance tool may be used to determine if a group health plan is complying with laws relating to mental health and substance-use disorder benefits.
Under the MHPAEA, a group health plan or health insurer must treat mental health and substance use disorder benefits similarly to medical and surgical benefits. A plan may not place financial requirements or treatment limitations on mental health and substance use disorder benefits that are not placed on other benefits. Financial requirements include copays and co-insurance. Treatment limitations include limits on the scope or duration of treatment such as caps on visits or prior authorization requirements.
The tool may be accessed by clicking here.