The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made significant strides in expanding access to mental health care. One of the most important provisions of the ACA is the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), which requires group health plans to provide mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) benefits that are comparable to medical and surgical benefits.
The MHPAEA prohibits group health plans from imposing annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health and SUD benefits that are less favorable than those imposed on medical and surgical benefits.
The law also prohibits plans from imposing more restrictive treatment limitations on mental health and SUD benefits than those imposed on medical and surgical benefits.
For example, a plan cannot have a 20-visit limit for mental health therapy but an unlimited number of visits for medical therapy. The MHPAEA also requires plans to cover preventive mental health services, such as screening and counseling, at no cost to the patient.
The MHPAEA has been a major success in expanding access to mental health care. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the law led to a 20% increase in the number of people with employer-sponsored health insurance who received mental health treatment.
However, there are still some challenges to accessing mental health care under the ACA. One challenge is that some plans may not offer mental health and SUD benefits. Another challenge is that some plans may have high copays and deductibles for mental health care.
If you are struggling with a mental health or SUD, it is important to talk to your doctor about your treatment options. Your doctor can help you find a plan that offers the coverage you need.
If you are uninsured, you may be eligible for coverage through www.EveryHealthGroup.com.
EveryHealthGroup offers a variety of plans, including plans that cover mental health and SUD benefits.
You can self-enroll for $0 and get coverage as soon as the next day.