Employers may need to act as a result of regulations implementing expanded
health parity requirements for group health plans. The interim final
rules, published in yesterday’s Federal Register, require
the integration and coordination of the medical, surgical, mental health,
and substance use disorder benefits in such plans.The expanded
requirements were imposed by the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental
Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA), signed into law
in October 2008. They are generally applicable for plan years beginning
after July 1, 2010 (January 1, 2011, for a calendar year plan).
