Market Areas > Human Resources > Mental Health Parity

Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) Rules and Compliance Strategies

Course Description:

The Mental Health Parity changes took effect January 1, 2010.  Under this new law, 113 million people across the country will have the right to non-discriminatory mental health coverage. 

What does this mean for your organization?

• Employers would no longer be permitted to require separate deductibles for mental health and medical treatment,
• Mental health and substance abuse care cannot be handled differently from medical and surgical treatment,
• Mental health and substance abuse treatment also must be equivalent to that provided for medical and surgical care within benefit classifications and coverage tiers, and
• Employee assistance programs cannot serve as gatekeepers, restricting or directing mental health care.

Although, the new proposed rules seek to clarify many of the gray areas health plans were struggling with when the MHPAEA was passed, (including deductibles, EAPs, and co-payments), the MHPAEA has left many organizations unclear on how they must handle mental health and addiction with their health plan.

What’s more, additional comments still are being sought on such areas as “nonquantitative” treatment limits, such as precertification and utilization review; and how coverage for prescription drugs is determined.

In this comprehensive C4CM audio conference, you’ll gain insight into the clarifications impacting financial requirements, treatment limitations, and benefit classification.  In just 75 minutes our expert faculty will also guide you through:

• Deductibles under MHPAEA: Is your plan affected?
• The role of EAPs with MHPAEA
• Are mental health providers considered “specialists” under the MHPAEA?
• How benefit classifications are used tosatisfy MHPAEA's parity requirements
• Deadline for meeting requirements – and penalties for non-compliance
• “Nonquantitative” treatment limits: What’s being discussed, and how to have your plan’s voice heard
• What plans are covered, and what plans are exempt from the MHPAEA
• Measuring plan benefits under the MHPAEA

Featured Faculty:

Joelle C. Sharman, Partner, Ford & Harrison, LLP

Joelle Sharman concentrates her practice in the area of ERISA litigation, employee benefits, insurance coverage disputes and employment law. She advises and defends employers, employer-sponsored plans, third-party administrators and plan fiduciaries against all types of claims under ERISA, including benefit and discrimination claims, and claims for breach of fiduciary duty. She also defends insurers in claims brought under individual life, health, and disability policies. Joelle further counsels employers and management on issues pertaining to employee welfare benefit plans, and provides advice with the drafting and administration of such plans.

Joelle has spoken on ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, insurance coverage (life, health, and disability), and managed healthcare issues at numerous seminars, including those sponsored by the American Conference Institute, the New York Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, the International Claims Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Southern Employee Benefits Conference, the American Conference Institute and Lorman's.

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE:

We're so confident you'll get what you want out of this conference that we'll refund every penny if you're not completely satisfied. No questions asked! It's 100% risk-free!

Pricing:

Your CD recording includes the complete audio conference presentation, audience Q&A and presentation materials.

APPROVED FOR RECERTIFICATION CREDIT:

HRCI - Receive 1.25 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. "The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit."

Each CCM event presents a variety of information and is presented for each organization to develop its own approach and methodology.