29 USC 1185a - Parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits

U.S Code last checked for updates: Apr 10, 2025

§ 1185a.

Parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits

(a)

In general

(1)

Aggregate lifetime limits

In the case of a group health plan (or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan) that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health or substance use disorder benefits—

(A)

No lifetime limit

(B)

Lifetime limit

If the plan or coverage includes an aggregate lifetime limit on substantially all medical and surgical benefits (in this paragraph referred to as the “applicable lifetime limit”), the plan or coverage shall either—

(i)

apply the applicable lifetime limit both to the medical and surgical benefits to which it otherwise would apply and to mental health and substance use disorder benefits and not distinguish in the application of such limit between such medical and surgical benefits and mental health and substance use disorder benefits; or

(ii)

not include any aggregate lifetime limit on mental health or substance use disorder benefits that is less than the applicable lifetime limit.

(C)

Rule in case of different limits

(2)

Annual limits

(A)

No annual limit

(B)

Annual limit

If the plan or coverage includes an annual limit on substantially all medical and surgical benefits (in this paragraph referred to as the “applicable annual limit”), the plan or coverage shall either—

(i)

apply the applicable annual limit both to medical and surgical benefits to which it otherwise would apply and to mental health and substance use disorder benefits and not distinguish in the application of such limit between such medical and surgical benefits and mental health and substance use disorder benefits; or

(ii)

not include any annual limit on mental health or substance use disorder benefits that is less than the applicable annual limit.

(C)

Rule in case of different limits

(3)

Financial requirements and treatment limitations

(A)

In general

(i)

the financial requirements applicable to such mental health or substance use disorder benefits are no more restrictive than the predominant financial requirements applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan (or coverage), and there are no separate cost sharing requirements that are applicable only with respect to mental health or substance use disorder benefits; and

(ii)

the treatment limitations applicable to such mental health or substance use disorder benefits are no more restrictive than the predominant treatment limitations applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan (or coverage) and there are no separate treatment limitations that are applicable only with respect to mental health or substance use disorder benefits.

(B)

Definitions

In this paragraph:

(i)

Financial requirement

(ii)

Predominant

(iii)

Treatment limitation

(4)

Availability of plan information

(5)

Out-of-network providers

(6)

Compliance program guidance document

(A)

In general

(B)

Examples illustrating compliance and noncompliance

(i)

In general

The compliance program guidance document required under this paragraph shall provide illustrative, de-identified examples (that do not disclose any protected health information or individually identifiable information) of previous findings of compliance and noncompliance with this section, section 300gg–26 of title 42, or section 9812 of title 26, as applicable, based on investigations of violations of such sections, including—

(I)

examples illustrating requirements for information disclosures and nonquantitative treatment limitations; and

(II)

descriptions of the violations uncovered during the course of such investigations.

(ii)

Nonquantitative treatment limitations

(iii)

Access to additional information regarding compliance

In developing and issuing the compliance program guidance document required under this paragraph, the Secretaries specified in subparagraph (A)—

(I)

shall enter into interagency agreements with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Inspector General of the Department of Labor, and the Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury to share findings of compliance and noncompliance with this section, section 300gg–26 of title 42, or section 9812 of title 26, as applicable; and

(II)

shall seek to enter into an agreement with a State to share information on findings of compliance and noncompliance with this section, section 300gg–26 of title 42, or section 9812 of title 26, as applicable.

(C)

Recommendations

(D)

Updating the compliance program guidance document

(7)

Additional guidance

(A)

In general

(B)

Disclosure

(i)

Guidance for plans and issuers

(ii)

Documents for participants, beneficiaries, contracting providers, or authorized representatives

The guidance issued under this paragraph shall include clarifying information and illustrative examples of methods that group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage may use to provide any participant, beneficiary, contracting provider, or authorized representative, as applicable, with documents containing information that the health plans or issuers are required to disclose to participants, beneficiaries, contracting providers, or authorized representatives to ensure compliance with this section, section 300gg–26 of title 42, or section 9812 of title 26, as applicable, compliance with any regulation issued pursuant to such respective section, or compliance with any other applicable law or regulation. Such guidance shall include information that is comparative in nature with respect to—

(I)

nonquantitative treatment limitations for both medical and surgical benefits and mental health and substance use disorder benefits;

(II)

the processes, strategies, evidentiary standards, and other factors used to apply the limitations described in subclause (I); and

(III)

the application of the limitations described in subclause (I) to ensure that such limitations are applied in parity with respect to both medical and surgical benefits and mental health and substance use disorder benefits.

(C)

Nonquantitative treatment limitations

The guidance issued under this paragraph shall include clarifying information and illustrative examples of methods, processes, strategies, evidentiary standards, and other factors that group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage may use regarding the development and application of nonquantitative treatment limitations to ensure compliance with this section, section 300gg–26 of title 42, or section 9812 of title 26, as applicable, (and any regulations promulgated pursuant to such respective section), including—

(i)

examples of methods of determining appropriate types of nonquantitative treatment limitations with respect to both medical and surgical benefits and mental health and substance use disorder benefits, including nonquantitative treatment limitations pertaining to—

(I)

medical management standards based on medical necessity or appropriateness, or whether a treatment is experimental or investigative;

(II)

limitations with respect to prescription drug formulary design; and

(III)

use of fail-first or step therapy protocols;

(ii)

examples of methods of determining—

(I)

network admission standards (such as credentialing); and

(II)

factors used in provider reimbursement methodologies (such as service type, geographic market, demand for services, and provider supply, practice size, training, experience, and licensure) as such factors apply to network adequacy;

(iii)

examples of sources of information that may serve as evidentiary standards for the purposes of making determinations regarding the development and application of nonquantitative treatment limitations;

(iv)

examples of specific factors, and the evidentiary standards used to evaluate such factors, used by such plans or issuers in performing a nonquantitative treatment limitation analysis;

(v)

examples of how specific evidentiary standards may be used to determine whether treatments are considered experimental or investigative;

(vi)

examples of how specific evidentiary standards may be applied to each service category or classification of benefits;

(vii)

examples of methods of reaching appropriate coverage determinations for new mental health or substance use disorder treatments, such as evidence-based early intervention programs for individuals with a serious mental illness and types of medical management techniques;

(viii)

examples of methods of reaching appropriate coverage determinations for which there is an indirect relationship between the covered mental health or substance use disorder benefit and a traditional covered medical and surgical benefit, such as residential treatment or hospitalizations involving voluntary or involuntary commitment; and

(ix)

additional illustrative examples of methods, processes, strategies, evidentiary standards, and other factors for which the Secretary determines that additional guidance is necessary to improve compliance with this section, section 300gg–26 of title 42, or section 9812 of title 26, as applicable.

(D)

Public comment

(8)

Compliance requirements

(A)

Nonquantitative treatment limitation (NQTL) requirements

In the case of a group health plan or a health insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health or substance use disorder benefits and that imposes nonquantitative treatment limitations (referred to in this section as “NQTLs”) on mental health or substance use disorder benefits, such plan or issuer shall perform and document comparative analyses of the design and application of NQTLs and, beginning 45 days after December 27, 2020, make available to the Secretary, upon request, the comparative analyses and the following information:

(i)

The specific plan or coverage terms or other relevant terms regarding the NQTLs, that applies to such plan or coverage, and a description of all mental health or substance use disorder and medical or surgical benefits to which each such term applies in each respective benefits classification.

(ii)

The factors used to determine that the NQTLs will apply to mental health or substance use disorder benefits and medical or surgical benefits.

(iii)

The evidentiary standards used for the factors identified in clause (ii), when applicable, provided that every factor shall be defined, and any other source or evidence relied upon to design and apply the NQTLs to mental health or substance use disorder benefits and medical or surgical benefits.

(iv)

The comparative analyses demonstrating that the processes, strategies, evidentiary standards, and other factors used to apply the NQTLs to mental health or substance use disorder benefits, as written and in operation, are comparable to, and are applied no more stringently than, the processes, strategies, evidentiary standards, and other factors used to apply the NQTLs to medical or surgical benefits in the benefits classification.

(v)

The specific findings and conclusions reached by the group health plan or health insurance issuer with respect to the health insurance coverage, including any results of the analyses described in this subparagraph that indicate that the plan or coverage is or is not in compliance with this section.

(B)

Secretary request process

(i)

Submission upon request

(ii)

Additional information

(iii)

Required action

(I)

In general

In instances in which the Secretary has reviewed the comparative analyses described in subparagraph (A), as requested under clause (i), and determined that the group health plan or health insurance issuer is not in compliance with this section, the plan or issuer—

(aa)

shall specify to the Secretary the actions the plan or issuer will take to be in compliance with this section and provide to the Secretary additional comparative analyses described in subparagraph (A) that demonstrate compliance with this section not later than 45 days after the initial determination by the Secretary that the plan or issuer is not in compliance; and

(bb)

following the 45-day corrective action period under item (aa), if the Secretary makes a final determination that the plan or issuer still is not in compliance with this section, not later than 7 days after such determination, shall notify all individuals enrolled in the plan or applicable health insurance coverage offered by the issuer that the plan or issuer, with respect to such coverage, has been determined to be not in compliance with this section.

(II)

Exemption from disclosure

(iv)

Report

Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, and not later than October 1 of each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a report that contains—

(I)

a summary of the comparative analyses requested under clause (i), including the identity of each group health plan or health insurance issuer, with respect to certain health insurance coverage that is determined to be not in compliance after the final determination by the Secretary described in clause (iii)(I)(bb);

(II)

the Secretary’s conclusions as to whether each group health plan or health insurance issuer submitted sufficient information for the Secretary to review the comparative analyses requested under clause (i) for compliance with this section;

(III)

for each group health plan or health insurance issuer that did submit sufficient information for the Secretary to review the comparative analyses requested under clause (i), the Secretary’s conclusions as to whether and why the plan or issuer is in compliance with the disclosure requirements under this section;

(IV)

the Secretary’s specifications described in clause (ii) for each group health plan or health insurance issuer that the Secretary determined did not submit sufficient information for the Secretary to review the comparative analyses requested under clause (i) for compliance with this section; and

(V)

the Secretary’s specifications described in clause (iii) of the actions each group health plan or health insurance issuer that the Secretary determined is not in compliance with this section must take to be in compliance with this section, including the reason why the Secretary determined the plan or issuer is not in compliance.

(C)

Compliance program guidance document update process

(i)

In general

(ii)

Guidance and regulations

(iii)

State

(b)

Construction

Nothing in this section shall be construed—

(1)

as requiring a group health plan (or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan) to provide any mental health or substance use disorder benefits; or

(2)

in the case of a group health plan (or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan) that provides mental health or substance use disorder benefits, as affecting the terms and conditions of the plan or coverage relating to such benefits under the plan or coverage, except as provided in subsection (a).

(c)

Exemptions

(1)

Small employer exemption

(A)

In general

(B)

Small employer

(C)

Application of certain rules in determination of employer size

For purposes of this paragraph—

(i)

Application of aggregation rule for employers

(ii)

Employers not in existence in preceding year

(iii)

Predecessors

(2)

Cost exemption

(A)

In general

(B)

Applicable percentage

With respect to a plan (or coverage), the applicable percentage described in this subparagraph shall be—

(i)

2 percent in the case of the first plan year in which this section is applied; and

(ii)

1 percent in the case of each subsequent plan year.

(C)

Determinations by actuaries

(D)

6-month determinations

(E)

Notification

(i)

In general

(ii)

Requirement

A notification to the Secretary under clause (i) shall include—

(I)

a description of the number of covered lives under the plan (or coverage) involved at the time of the notification, and as applicable, at the time of any prior election of the cost-exemption under this paragraph by such plan (or coverage);

(II)

for both the plan year upon which a cost exemption is sought and the year prior, a description of the actual total costs of coverage with respect to medical and surgical benefits and mental health and substance use disorder benefits under the plan; and

(III)

for both the plan year upon which a cost exemption is sought and the year prior, the actual total costs of coverage with respect to mental health and substance use disorder benefits under the plan.

(iii)

Confidentiality

A notification to the Secretary under clause (i) shall be confidential. The Secretary shall make available, upon request and on not more than an annual basis, an anonymous itemization of such notifications, that includes—

(I)

a breakdown of States by the size and type of employers submitting such notification; and

(II)

a summary of the data received under clause (ii).

(F)

Audits by appropriate agencies

(d)

Separate application to each option offered

(e)

Definitions

For purposes of this section—

(1)

Aggregate lifetime limit

(2)

Annual limit

(3)

Medical or surgical benefits

(4)

Mental health benefits

(5)

Substance use disorder benefits

(f)

Secretary report

(g)

Notice and assistance

(Pub. L. 93–406, title I, § 712, as added Pub. L. 104–204, title VII, § 702(a), Sept. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 2944; amended Pub. L. 107–116, title VII, § 701(a), Jan. 10, 2002, 115 Stat. 2228; Pub. L. 107–313, § 2(a), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2457; Pub. L. 108–197, § 2(a), Dec. 19, 2003, 117 Stat. 2898; Pub. L. 108–311, title III, § 302(b), Oct. 4, 2004, 118 Stat. 1178; Pub. L. 109–151, § 1(a), Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2886; Pub. L. 109–432, div. A, title I, § 115(b), Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 2941; Pub. L. 110–245, title IV, § 401(b), June 17, 2008, 122 Stat. 1649; Pub. L. 110–343, div. C, title V, § 512(a), (g)(1)(A), Oct. 3, 2008, 122 Stat. 3881, 3892; Pub. L. 116–260, div. BB, title II, § 203(a)(2), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2903.)

cite as: 29 USC 1185a

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