The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires group health plans to:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) prohibits group health plans from imposing more restrictive financial requirements — such as deductibles, copayments, and visit limits — or treatment limitations on mental health and substance use disorder benefits than those applied to medical and surgical benefits. Parity means the benefit structures must be comparable, not that every plan must offer mental health coverage in unlimited amounts. Combined with the ACA requirement that mental health and substance use disorder services be an essential health benefit, this law protects behavioral health coverage.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Parity requires comparable benefit limits, not unlimited coverage; plans may still impose reasonable limits that match medical limits.
- C) Substance abuse treatment cannot be categorically excluded under the parity rule and the EHB requirement.
- D) Mental health benefits cannot be segregated into harsher limited policies; they must be comparable to medical benefits.
Memory hook
Parity = mental health gets the same copays, caps, and limits as a broken leg. Comparable, not carte blanche.