Health Affairs, 28, no. 3 (2009): 663-665 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.28.3.663 © 2009 by Project HOPE	New Online   Senate Health Reform Bill   Rewarding Providers   Public Option Policy Brief   Health Reform & Abortion   Delivery System Reform

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Perspectives

PERSPECTIVE

Implementing Mental Health Parity: The Challenge For Health Plans

By design, the new mental health parity law should work harmoniously with innovations that have helped slow down growth in mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) treatment costs and improve their quality. The main purpose of the new law is to put coverage of MH/SA benefits on an equal footing with general medical benefits. But some unique features of care for MH/SA disorders will pose challenges in aligning benefits with general medical care. Successful navigation of these challenges will require, as in the passage of the parity law itself, cooperation from all stakeholder groups.

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