Press Release - Health Benefits For Substance Abuse Treatment Still Lag Far Behind Coverage For General Medical CareIn Separate Article, Researchers Say That Exemptions Limit Reach Of State Mental Health Parity Laws
June 7, 2007
Bethesda, MD -- Employer-sponsored coverage for substance abuse treatment continues to have annual limits and lifetime caps on treatment visits and inpatient days and also requires higher cost sharing than coverage for general medical care, according to a new analysis published today as a Health Affairs Web Exclusive.
In 2006, 88 percent of insured workers had some coverage for substance abuse services, but only 19 percent were enrolled in a plan without limits on the number of office visits or hospital stays. Such limitations are virtually unknown in general medical care, where nearly all covered workers had unlimited medical-surgical hospital days and office visits, according to Jon Gabel, a senior fellow at NORC, and coauthors. http://content.healthaffairs
A second Health Affairs Web Exclusive published today reports that many workers are exempt from state mental health “parity” laws aimed at bringing private-sector mental health benefits more in line with coverage for other types of disorders. As a result, as of 2003, only one-fifth of U.S. workers with employer-sponsored health insurance were covered by “strong” parity laws that mandate mental health benefits, prohibit limits on outpatient visits and inpatient days, and limit the extent to which enrollees can face higher cost sharing for mental health services.
. . . . . . .
Contributor: Don Phillips
__________________________________________________________________________
