Additional work is needed to supplement the existing mental health parity law. As we stated in our February article, As proponents of parity are beginning to see, however, there are many loopholes to the new law. Companies can still limit specific types of treatments and interventions. For example, a company's health plan may specify that an individual can receive no more than 30 inpatient days in a psychiatric hospital. They could also limit the specific number of outpatient visits per year.
Companies can increase the co-payment required at each visit, and can also do so unequally.
The parity act also allows for companies to opt out of the law. First, companies with less than 50 employees aren't covered by the law and continue to have no protection or access to equal coverage. Luckily, some legislators and advocacy associations understand the limitations to this law and are working toward further legislative changes. One of these organizations is the National Mental Health Association . Other mental health advocacy organizations, however, have overstated the existing law's benefits.