On Thursday, May 28, SHRM submitted comments on implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343 §§ 511, 512). These comments were in response to a joint Request for Information (RFI) issued by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Internal Revenue 
Service seeking information for formulating rules to implement the Act.
SHRM was a key supporter of the final version of the mental health parity legislation, which requires that any health care plan offering mental health coverage must ensure that the financial requirements and treatment limitations applied to mental health benefits are no more restrictive than those applied to medical and surgical benefits.
SHRM’s comments offer suggestions on how the agencies should define key terms in the law based on the way most group health plans are structured. SHRM’s comments also address the statute’s cost exemption and recommend that the effective date of the rulemaking be delayed by one year to allow adequate time for health plan design changes.
To read SHRM’s comment, click HERE.