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Addiction Treatment Under The Mental Health Parity And Addiction Equity Act Of 2008 – Expanded Behavioral Health Benefits Bring Risks Of Increased Cost Shifting To Public Funding Sources, Greg Heller

Greg Heller

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (the “Parity Act”) promises to do a great deal of good for a lot of families, by making health insurance coverage for behavioral health care more extensive. Managed care techniques, and specialized vendors known as behavioral health carve-out companies, will play a significant role in this expanded coverage. This article reports on a study that documented a significant shift in the costs of addiction treatment, from private insurers who should have paid for the care to the public fisc, as a result of managed care …