WBT Flipbooks

Evaluating State Mental Health and Addiction Parity Statutes: A Technical Report 22 2. Is there statutory language mandating that health insurance/benefit plans cover or offer to cover some or all behavioral health treatment services? (10 points available; only one answer may be selected) a. Behavioral health treatment services are a mandated benefit for health insurance/benefit plans (10 points) b. Behavioral health treatment services are not a mandated benefit for health insurance/benefit plans (0 points) This question distinguishes between state laws where coverage for behavioral health services is optional and state laws that require coverage of behavioral health services. This distinction is similar to MHPAEA, which does not mandate coverage (parity is required only if a plan covers behavioral health treatment) and the ACA requirement that behavioral health services are an essential health benefit and therefore must be covered by health benefit plans sold in the individual market. For coding purposes, states received 10 points if the statute mandated that any health benefit plans cover behavioral health treatments and/or if the statute mandated that behavioral health coverage is offered to the policyholder. States received 0 points if coverage of behavioral health treatments was optional to the health benefit plan. Example (10 points, mandated benefit): Missouri, Mo. Ann. St. § 376.1550, 1(1): "A health benefit plan shall provide coverage for treatment of a mental health condition…" Example (10 points, offer): Florida, Fla. Stat. Ann. § 627.668(1): "Every insurer, health maintenance organization, and nonprofit hospital and medical service plan corporation transacting group health insurance or providing prepaid health care in this state shall make available to the policyholder as part of the application, for an appropriate additional premium under a group hospital and medical expense-incurred insurance policy, under a group prepaid health care contract, and under a group hospital and medical service plan contract, the benefits or level of benefits specified in subsection (2) for the necessary care and treatment of mental and nervous disorders…" Example (0 points): Nebraska, Neb. Rev. St. § 44-793(1): "...[A]ny health insurance plan delivered, issued, or renewed in this state (a) if coverage is provided for treatment of mental health conditions…"

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