In the latest volley between participants and group health plans over mental health services coverage, a federal district court in California denied United Healthcare’s motion to dismiss a putative class action challenging the reimbursement rates for out-of-network mental health services. In this case, the plaintiffs alleged that UHC reduced reimbursement rates for out-of-network services by
Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
Proposed Mental Health Parity Guidance Focuses on Nonquantitative Treatment Limitations
By Damian A. Myers & Steven A. Sutro on
On April 23, 2018, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury (together, the “Agencies”) released proposed frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) related to nonquantitative treatment limitations (“NQTLs”) under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”). The Agencies also provided guidance on new disclosure requirements (which were described in our…
Proposed Mental Health Parity Guidance Would Impose Burdensome Disclosure Requirements
By Damian A. Myers on
On April 23, 2018, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury (together, the “Agencies”) released proposed frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) related to required disclosures and nonquantitative treatment limitations (“NQTLs”) under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”). The Agencies also released a self-compliance tool to help plans, plan…
Anthem Settles Mental Health Parity Litigation Involving Autism Treatment
By Steven A. Sutro on
A federal district court in Indiana recently granted preliminary approval of a settlement between Anthem and a class seeking coverage of Applied Behavior Analysis (“ABA”) treatment for autism disorders. The three-year old litigation involved claims that Anthem violated the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”) by limiting the hours of ABA therapy…