Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
Under federal mental health parity rules, a group health plan's treatment limits and cost-sharing for mental health and substance use disorder benefits must:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why D is correct
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the ACA require that financial requirements and treatment limits for mental health and substance use disorder benefits be no more restrictive than those applied to medical and surgical benefits in the same classification, such as inpatient, outpatient, and prescription drugs. Parity prevents plans from imposing higher copayments, lower visit counts, or stricter annual limits on mental health care than on comparable physical care.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Parity does not impose a 50 percent cap; it requires equality of limits and cost-sharing, not a fixed percentage.
- B) Parity applies across all benefit classifications, including outpatient services and prescription drugs, not only inpatient care.
- C) Parity requires equal treatment, not elimination of mental health benefits; plans must offer them on the same terms as medical benefits.
Memory hook
Parity = mental health benefits get the same copays and limits as medical benefits. Equal, not capped.