Mental illnesses are the most common cause of disability in the United States and the cost of mental healthcare is on the rise. This article will explain the Mental Health Parity Act, a law designed to make sure insurance companies cover mental health in the same way they cover other medical treatment.
Mental illnesses can be crippling, life-changing events that often leave people with a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. This is because healthcare providers typically view mental health as not "real" or "serious" enough to warrant the same level of attention and insurance coverage as physical health needs. The mental health parity and addiction act was enacted to change this outdated perspective and provide parity between mental and physical conditions.
Mental health parity is a federal law that requires insurance companies to provide the same level of coverage for mental health and substance use disorders as they do for physical health conditions. This means that, if you have a mental health condition, your insurance company must cover the full range of treatment options that are available to treat that condition.
This Act has been in effect since 2009, but there are still some states that don’t comply with it. If you live in one of those states and need help getting your insurance company to comply with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, don’t hesitate to reach out to an attorney or advocacy group.
