Federal Mental Health Parity Clarified

The American Psychiatric Association has publicly endorsed an "interim final rule" clarifying certain requirements of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. The law created a federal requirement that all medical insurance policies provide equal benefits for mental health conditions, such as anorexia, bulimia, autism, and schizophrenia. Kartini Clinic wholeheartedly supports such efforts and encourages families to contact their respective congressperson(s) to register their support. This legislative reform will require insurance companies to provide benefits as advertised rather than to hide exclusions and limitations to mental health benefits in the fine print of the policy. It does not require insurance policies to provide extensive mental health benefits under a given policy, but such benefits must be at least as comprehensive as medical benefits under a given policy.