New rule requires parity for mental health
The Denver Post
WASHINGTON — Health insurance companies now must cover mental illness and substance abuse just as they cover physical diseases.
The
Obama administration issued new regulations Friday that spell out how a
5-year-old mental health parity law will be administered.
Health
and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the rule should put
an end to discrimination faced by some mental health patients through
higher out-of-pocket costs or stricter limits on hospital stays or
visits to the doctor.
The law, signed by President George W. Bush,
was designed to prevent that. But mental health advocates said health
insurers at times sidestepped lawmakers' intentions by delaying requests
for care and putting in place other bureaucratic hurdles.
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