What is Mental Health Parity? A Consumer Guide to the Evaluating State Mental Health and Addiction Parity Statutes Report

Mental Health Parity is YOUR right.

What Is Parity?

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA), also known as the Federal Parity Law, requires insurers to cover illnesses of the brain, such as depression or addiction, no more restrictively than illnesses of the body, such as diabetes. Current law requires health insurers to apply similar processes and restrictions for treatment and coverage of mental health and substance use disorders as they would for medical and surgical benefits. When a health insurance plan has parity, it means conditions that share the same characteristics are treated in the same way. For example, the number of visits you are provided, your copayments, an the level of treatment coverage for depression would be similar to those for diabetes.