State RegulationsMA specificDifficulty 1/5
Under the Massachusetts mental health parity law, benefits for mental health conditions must be provided on what basis relative to benefits for physical health conditions?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why D is correct
M.G.L. c. 175, § 47B embodies Massachusetts mental health parity: benefits payable for mental health conditions may not be subjected to financial requirements or treatment limitations less favorable than the dominant requirements and limitations applied to substantially all physical health benefits in the same contract. Parity reaches the whole design of the benefit — deductibles, copayments, visit limits, and caps alike — not merely one setting of care.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Parity is not confined to inpatient care; M.G.L. c. 175, § 47B applies across the contract's mental health benefits, outpatient and inpatient alike.
- B) A carrier's internal clinical judgment does not override the statutory parity mandate; the comparison to physical health benefits controls.
- C) A separate, lower dollar cap for mental conditions is exactly the kind of less-favorable financial requirement the Massachusetts parity law forbids.
Memory hook
Mind meets body at equal terms — no stingier rules for mental health benefits.