APA Updates Employer Guide for Mental Health Parity Act

The American Psychiatric Foundation and the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health updated their Employer Guide for Compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, according to a press release.

The updated Guide includes a concise guide to the parity law, its regulations, and implications of the Affordable Care Act.

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was released in 2008. It requires that group health plans covering ≥50 employees have coverage for mental health and substance use disorders that is comparable to their coverage of physical ailments. The act applies to approximately 113 million people, 82 million of whom are self-insured.

Employers are liable for noncompliance with the act, and penalties can be as high as $100 per member per day of noncompliance. To help ensure that employers properly comply with the complex act, the American Psychiatric Association, the Partnership, and Milliman Inc. created the Guide.

“Employers will find this guide a valuable tool in navigating the requirements of federal law relating to mental health parity,” said American Psychiatric Foundation Chairman Saul Levin, MD, MPA. “But more importantly, the guide will help employers ensure their employees are getting the mental health care they need.”

The full, updated Guide can be found here.