Health Insurance Basics
What is mental health parity in health insurance?
Mental health parity is a federal law that requires health insurance plans to cover mental health and substance use disorder services at the same level as physical health services. Plans cannot impose more restrictive limitations on mental health benefits than on medical benefits.
Key Points
- Mental health parity: mental health coverage must equal physical health coverage
- Federal law: Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
- Plans cannot impose more restrictive limitations on mental health benefits
- Applies to: deductibles, copays, coinsurance, visit limits, prior authorization
- An independent agent can help you find plans with strong mental health coverage