title: What Does Mental Health Parity Really Mean for the Care of People with Serious Mental Illness?
abstract: Parity of mental health and substance abuse insurance benefits with medical care benefits, as well as parity in their management, are major ongoing concerns for adults with serious mental illness (SMI). The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 guaranteed this parity of benefits and management in large private insurance plans and privately managed state Medicaid plans, but only if the benefits were offered at all. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 extended parity to all persons receiving insurance through the state health insurance marketplaces, through the state Medicaid Expansions, and through new individual and small group plans. This article presents an analysis of how accessible parity has become for adults with SMI at both the system and personal levels several years after these legislative changes have been implemented.
authors.affiliation: The Carter Center Mental Health Program, One Coppenhill, 453 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA. Electronic address: John.bartlett@cartercenter.org.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.affiliation: 25 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Suite 500, Washington, DC 2001, USA.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manderscheid
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States
keywords: Affordable Care Act; Essential health benefits; MHPAEA Act; Medicaid expansion; Mental health and substance abuse benefits; Non-quantitative treatment limitations; Parity; SMI population