Mental Health is one of the most under-resourced medical treatment in the United States. According to Ettner et al. According to Ettner et al. (2016), approximately one-quarter of Americans were diagnosed with mental disorders (MI) in 2014. In 2014, around one-fourth of Americans were diagnosed with mental diseases (MI). Historically however, behavioral disorders have received less attention than other physical conditions. As a result, people with mental illness have been denied access and paid more for their medical care. This was the turning point and the latest in a series of parity laws that aimed to address inequality.
Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, (MHPAEA), significantly changed the rules governing behavioral welfare for financially and substantial property owners. Before the implementation and passage of the legislation many mental health programs did not cover a specific number of prescribed days or visits to behavioral health (Thalmayer and al., 2017). With the introduction of MHPAEA these quantitative treatment limits (QTLs), were permitted as long they “consistent with” medical surgical restrictions. Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was an historic law that addressed the problem of disparity in mental health services provision.
Approch
MHPAEA offers health insurance coverage to “large” organizations with 50 or more members. You can choose between fully-insured or self-insured plans. The new law provided BH with public assistance benefits equivalent to medical or surgical care. According to the law, “parity”, which were financial limitations such as copayments, deductibles or QTLs like coverage length and visits required that the program provide certain benefits features. In addition, the law includes interim final regulations, (IFR), that contain equity criteria in non-quantitative treatments limits (NQTLS), including compensation, preapproval and evaluation of medical prerequisites (Druss & Goldman 2018, 2018). The law was approved and companies and insurers were required to agree to it. They had to follow the directions, which went into effect January 1, 2010 and are to resume each year on January 1.
Prior legislation to ensure parity was the 1996 Mental Health Parity Act. Unconnected annual or lifetime limitations on insurance coverage to treat mental illness were abolished by this statute. Further steps were taken to improve access and minimize financial hardships in the treatment of mental disorders and drug abuse. The 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, (MHPAEA), was adopted by Druss and Goldman (2018). This was achieved by eliminating disparities in coverage, such as costly sharing, hospitalization limits or separate hospital visits, as well unbalanced implementation methods for health plans. Although equality was expanded to cover plans providing insurance for BH-related conditions, it didn’t require that insurers provide this coverage. Many insurance policies offer some protection. The directive’s effectiveness was evident from the first implementation of it.