Unfortunately, nothing in the law requires employers to provide mental health coverage or even keep the coverage they have. Browse through our comprehensive listing of Mental Health Policy Resources . The specifics of the new law are simple. Group health plans in companies with more than 50 employees are required to set the same maximum dollar payments for all covered diseases, whether they be physical or mental. 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.