Paul Wellstone And Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity And Addiction Equality Act
What Does Paul Wellstone And Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity And Addiction Equality Act Mean?
The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity (MHPAE) Act is a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2008 to ensure that mental health and substance abuse issues are given equal consideration as medical and surgical benefits in group insurance plans and by insurance issuers.
Insuranceopedia Explains Paul Wellstone And Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity And Addiction Equality Act
Historically, before the passage of the MHPAE Act, employee group insurance plans had different, often more restrictive requirements for mental health and substance abuse coverage compared to coverage for other health conditions. The passage of this law amended that, ensuring mental health and substance abuse are covered in the same way as physical medical issues, although exceptions still exist, such as for private workplaces with fewer than 50 employees.