November 30, 2011

Mental Health and Substance Use: Employers' Insurance Coverage Maintained or Enhanced Since Parity Act, but Effect of Coverage on Enrollees Varied

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the report which describes the extent to which employers cover mental health conditions and substance use disorders (MH/SU) and the know effects of coverage of MH/SU by employers on enrollees' health care expenditures. This report came in the response to The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) which requires employers who offer health insurance coverage for MH/SU to provide coverage that is no more restrictive than its medical and surgical conditions coverage offerings.