Mental Health Parity

Mental Health Parity Publications & Web Sites

Strong communities are built on supportive policies. This site was developed to enhance policymaker's ability to architect and implement parity legislation that will promote positive outcomes for individuals and their families. We provide timely analysis of current issues, enabling legislators and policy makers to make informed decisions.

Federal Parity Legislation

sPUBLIC LAW 104-204 Title VII: "Mental Health Parity Act of 1996".

sBrief Legislative History Highlights

s45 CFR Part 146 -- Interim Rules(December 1997)

Florida and Parity
2000 LEGISLATIVE SESSION:
S1658 GENERAL BILL by Myers
Health Insurance; cites act as "Dianne Steele Mental Illness Insurance Parity Act"; provides that current requirement for group insurers to offer coverage for mental health conditions does not apply to serious mental illness; requires group health insurers & HMOs to provide coverage for serious mental illness; requires health benefit plan committee to consider & recommend modifications to standard, basic, & limited health benefit plans, etc. Amends Ch. 627, 641.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/01/2000.
02/24/00 SENATE Prefiled
03/07/00 SENATE Introduced, referred to Banking and Insurance; Fiscal Policy SJ 00099
04/27/00 SENATE Withdrawn from Banking and Insurance; Fiscal Policy SJ 00581; Withdrawn from further consideration SJ 00581

sDefining Publicly Funded Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Priority Population Groups
---2000 Interim Session, Committee on Children and Families -- 8 pages. text: pdf.

s "Mental Illness Insurance Parity Act"
-- 1999 Legislative Session --- HB0081 and SB302

sIssue Briefs- Mental Health Parity and Florida

7 pages including an overview on parity, cost implications, and current bill sponsors. text: pdf.

sFlorida Council for Community Mental Health

Estimated Cost Report submitted to AHCA to support HB299

Other States and Parity

sStates with Mental Health Parity Statutes (updated 2000 May 15)

sState Parity Legislation: Current Status (1991-2000) (updated 2000 May 15)

sState of the States

sState Mental Illness Parity Laws

s Impact Of New Hampshire Parity Legislation The Lewin Group, Inc. - April 1997

sAlaska Mental Health Parity Task Force Report (1999)

sBibliography of Materials Related To Behavioral Health Insurance Parity: Selected Articles and Reports (1999)

Children's Mental Health Parity

sSenate Votes Parity for Children Under Grants (Psychiatric News, August 1, 1997)

Other Sites

sBazelon Center

sNational Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

sNational Mental Health Association

sAmerican Psychiatric Association Public Policy Advocacy

sMental HealthNet

From research to policy
A look at the process of developing a parity report from an information perspective

Comments or Questions?

Full-text papers on parity

Mental Health Parity: National and State Perspectives:a report by the de la Parte Institute 1997-2000 Reports; pdf

NIMH 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 Council (1998) HTML

Insurance Parity For Mental Health: Cost, Access, And Quality: Final Report to Congress by the National Advisory Mental Health Council June 2000; pdf (50 pages)

Mental Health Parity: What Can It Accomplish in a Market Dominated by Managed Care? By Alan L. Otten June 1998; pdf

Parity in Financing Mental Health Services: Managed Care Effects on Cost, Access, and Quality Interim Report to Congress the National Advisory Mental Health Council March 1998; May 1998; pdf

The Costs and Effects of Parity for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Insurance Benefits a Mathematica Policy Research study 1998; text:html

CBO Estimates of the Impact On Employers of the Mental Health Parity Amendment in HR 3103 Congressional Budget Office -- May 1996; text: html

Premium Rate Estimates for a Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Parity Provision to s.1028, "The Mental Health Insurance Reform Act of 1995".Milliman & Robertson, Inc. April 1997; text: html

Making Sense of the Mental Health Parity Act Milliman & Robertson Perspectives: Current Issues in Employee Benefits. December 1997; text: html

Final Report : Policy Assessment Study of Managed Care and Mental Health/Substance Abuse Services under Health Care Reform Center for Health Policy Studies December 1996 text: html

Press Releases

s Mental Health ‘Parity’ for Rural Americans (2000)

sNIMH Study Shows Low Costs Of Improving Mental Health Care Coverage Under Managed Care (1997)

sAMBHA "Parity in Benefit Coverage: A Joint AMBHA-ASAM Statement"

s JAMA Paper Shows That Mental Health Parity is Affordable, 97

THE LOUIS DE LA PARTE
FLORIDA MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE