The New Mental Health Parity Law:Issues and Concerns for Public and Private Sector Employers
Abstract
On October 3, 2008, Congress passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Act (MHPAA) as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. The MHPAA does not require insurance providers to offer insurance coverage for mental illness and addictions, but if they are covered, there must be parity with other health coverage. This article summarizes the MHPAA and discusses the possible consequences to public sector employers. The authors also explore the possible court challenges to the MHPAA under the Eleventh Amendment.