State RegulationsMA specificDifficulty 3/5
Which statement most accurately describes the reach of Massachusetts mental health parity requirements across the statutes governing different types of health carriers?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why B is correct
Massachusetts built parity into each of the chapters governing the major kinds of health carriers: M.G.L. c. 175, § 47B for insurers writing accident and health coverage, M.G.L. c. 176A, § 8A for hospital service corporations, M.G.L. c. 176B, § 4A for medical service corporations, and M.G.L. c. 176G, § 4M for health maintenance organizations. Because the parity obligation is repeated across the carrier chapters, an insured's parity protection does not depend on which kind of entity issued the coverage.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Restricting parity to one carrier type misstates the architecture; M.G.L. c. 176B, § 4A and M.G.L. c. 176G, § 4M extend parity beyond any single carrier category.
- C) Individual as well as group coverage is reached; the parity provisions apply to the carriers' health benefit contracts without carving out individual business.
- D) Disclosure alone is not the mandate; the parity statutes require equal treatment of the benefits themselves, not merely a statement of differences.
Memory hook
Parity is stitched into every carrier chapter — the equal-treatment rule travels with the benefit.