Understanding MHPAEA Compliance for Health Plans
The Evolution of Mental Health Parity Laws
The journey towards mental health parity in the United States has been marked by significant legislative milestones. It began with the Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA) of 1996, which laid the groundwork by requiring health plans to ensure that annual and lifetime limits for mental health benefits were on par with those for medical and surgical benefits. However, this act did not mandate coverage for mental health services nor did it address other financial or treatment limits, leaving gaps that subsequent legislation sought to fill.
