MA State Senate passes scaled-back 'mental health parity' bill

Mass Health Law
Senate passes scaled-back 'mental health parity' bill
Posted by Gideon Gil July 24, 2008 06:13 PM
By Kay Lazar, Globe Staff
Patients with autism, eating disorders, substance abuse problems or post traumatic stress disorder would have greater access to treatments under proposed legislation that passed the state Senate today.
The measure differs from a more sweeping version of the "mental health parity" bill that passed the House earlier. That proposal would require insurance plans to cover all mental health disorders the same as physical conditions and would allow any treatments that were medically needed.
Both the Senate and House versions would maintain the current law's requirement that health insurers provide full coverage for nine of the most common psychiatric conditions: schizophrenia; schizoaffective disorder, major depression; bipolar disorder; paranoia and other psychotic disorders; obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder; delirium and dementia; and affective disorders.
Massachusetts law now allows health insurers to limit treatments for dozens of other mental health diagnoses to 24 outpatient sessions and 60 days of hospitalization per year.

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