Parity in Financing Mental Health Services: Managed Care Effects on Cost, Access and Quality

February 21, 2012

Implementing parity in systems already using managed care results in a less than 1% increase in total health care costs over a year's period. This is the finding of an interim report to Congress on the after effects of the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 prepared by the National Advisory Mental Health Council and the National Institute of Mental Health. The report entitled "Parity in Financing Mental Health Services: Managed Care Effects on Cost, Access and Quality -An Interim Report to Congress by the National Advisory Mental Health . . .