Massachusetts expands mental health parity law to include autism and substance abuse
Massachusetts has expanded its mental health parity law to require individual and group insurers and HMOs to provide nondiscriminatory coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders, post traumatic stress disorders, substance abuse disorders and autism, which are biologically based mental disorders (as described in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)). The law already requires nondiscriminatory coverage for certain other biologically based mental disorders. The revised law also allows the state commissioner of health to require insurers to provide mental health benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis for the diagnosis and medically necessary and active treatment of any mental disorder, as described in the most recent edition of the DSM. The law takes effect on July 1, 2009. (Select News, 16 Sep 2008)
Mercer Offerings
To learn about other Mercer offerings, check out these Mercer sites:
Mercer.com: Mercer's flagship site
iMercer.com: Survey data and analysis
