Equal treatment: a review of mental health parity enforcement in California
Equal treatment: a review of mental health parity enforcement in California
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Author(s):
- Volk, JoAnn, author
Kona, Maanasa, author
O'Brien, Madeline, author
Goe, Christina Lechner, author
Mayhew, James, author - Contributor(s):
- California HealthCare Foundation, issuing body.
- Publication:
- [Oakland, California] : California Health Care Foundation, September 2020
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Health Equity
Health Services Accessibility -- legislation & jurisprudence
Mental Health Services -- legislation & jurisprudence
California
United States - Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) sought to address the long-standing neglect of mental health and substance use disorder coverage under health insurance and employer-sponsored plans. MHPAEA put care and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders on equal footing with physical health care, prohibiting insurers and health plans from imposing greater cost sharing or tighter limits on accessing care for behavioral health. Behavioral health coverage is essential for the one in five adults diagnosed with a mental illness and the almost 8% of people age 12 years and older diagnosed with a substance use disorder. California has been a leader among states enforcing protections under MHPAEA. State regulators were ahead of their peers in assessing compliance with the comprehensive federal law. But representatives for patients and providers say more recent enforcement efforts are falling short at a time when many Californians who need mental health care report having difficulty getting care. Californians have also said ensuring access to mental health care is the top health care issue they want state leaders to address in 2020. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health needs have become more acute. One in three people nationwide reports having symptoms of depression or anxiety.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (26 pages))
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101771901 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101771901