Abstract
The 1996 Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA), which became effective in January 1998, is scheduled to expire in September 2001. This article provides an overview of what the MHPA intended to do and what it actually has accomplished. We summarize state legislature actions through the end of 2000 and report on their effects on employer-sponsored mental health coverage using a national survey fielded in 1999–2000. We then discuss possible amendments to the MHPA and reforms beyond full parity that might be considered.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Allen, K. (2000). Testimony of Kathryn Allen (Assoc. Dir., Health Financing and Public Health Issues, Government Accounting Office) before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension (GAO Publication No. T-HEHS-00-113). Washington, DC: Government Accounting Office.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychological Association. Mental health patient's bill of rights: Principles for the provision of mental health and substance abuse treatment services. [On-line]. Available: http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/rights/rights.html.
Congressional Quarterly Almanac. (1996). 104th Cong., 2d Sess., Volume L11, 10-91.
Frank, R., Koyanagi, C., & McGuire, T. (1997). The politics and economics of mental health 'parity' laws. Health Affairs, 16(4), 108-119.
Frank, R., & McGuire, T. (1998). Parity for mental health and substance abuse care under managed care. Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, 1, 153-159.
General Accounting Office. (2000). Mental health parity act: Despite new federal standards, mental health benefits remain limited(GAO Publication No. HEHS-00-95). Washington, DC: Government Accounting Office.
Gitterman, D., Scheffler, R.M., Schwalm, D., Peck, M.C., Gruttadaro, D., & Ciemens, E. (2000, September). Why mental health parity in the U.S.? Political and economic determinants of policy change. Paper presented at the Tenth National Institute of Mental Health Biennial Research Conference on the Economics of Mental Health: Economics of Parity for Mental Health, Washington, DC.
Gresenz, C.R., Liu, X.F., Sturm, R. (1998). Managed behavioral health services for children under carve-out contracts. Psychiatric Services, 49(8), 1054-1058.
Pollitz, K., Tapay, N., Hadley, E., & Specht, J. (2000). Early experience with 'New Federalism' in health insurance regulation. Health Affairs, 19(4), 7-22.
Sturm, R. (1997). How expensive is unlimited mental health care coverage under managed care? Journal of the American Medical Association, 278(18), 1533-1537.
Sturm, R., & Pacula, R.L. (1999). State mental health parity legislation: cause or consequence of utilization differences? Health Affairs, 18(5), 182-192.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gitterman, D.P., Sturm, R., Pacula, R.L. et al. Does the Sunset of Mental Health Parity Really Matter?. Adm Policy Ment Health 28, 353–369 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011113932599
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011113932599