Below is the timeline of mental coverage in the US
President Kennedy directs the Civil Service Commission to implement mental health parity for Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. These provisions were slowly rolled back in subsequent years.
President Kennedy signs the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act of 1963. This law allowed federal funds to be used for mental health infrastructure.
Many states pass laws on minimum benefits for substance use disorders, alcoholism, and mental illness.
Senator Moynihan (D-NY) introduced S.62 the Homeless Mentally Ill Outreach Act with support from Senator Danforth (R-MO).
Senator Domenici (R-NM) introduced S.2696 the Equitable Health Care for Severe Mental Illness Act, with the support of 24 bipartisan co-sponsors.
Senator Domenici (R-NM) introduced the S.298 the Equitable Health Care for Severe Mental Illness Act with 7 bipartisan cosponsors.
Government Accountability Office report found that from 1996 to 1999, there was a 41% reduction in plan noncompliance with the 1996 federal Mental Health Parity law. However, 87% of compliant plans contained a plan design feature that is more restrictive for mental health benefits than medical/surgical benefits.
President George W. Bush established the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.
37 states have mental health parity laws in effect with variation in benefits covered, diagnoses included, populations eligible, and use of managed care. These laws are limited in scope due to Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) exempting self-insured employers.
- The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act became law.
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act become law. The Act included a provision to phase-out previously mandated higher co-pays for mental health and substance use services in Medicare Part B.
The Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) Reauthorization Act became law. The Act included a provision requiring mental health parity in CHIP plans
The Affordable Care Act became law. The Act includes mandates for mental health and substance use coverage parity for small group and individual market plans beginning in 2014.
The Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Treasury released final regulations to establish a framework for parity equivalence determination under the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.
The National Council for State Legislatures released a table demonstrating mental health and substance use parity laws by state.
- The Department of Defense issued a final rule that established cost-sharing parity between medical/surgical and mental health/substance use services and eliminated treatment limits for mental health and substance use care for TRICARE.
- The 21st Century Cures Act became law. The Act aims to slow opioid-related deaths, disseminate information on mental health and substance use parity, and develops plans to enforce mental health and substance use parity.
- President Obama establishes the Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force. The Task Force released a Final Report on the history, current state, and future recommendations for mental health and substance use parity.
The Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued final regulations for Medicaid managed care organizations and the Children’s Health Insurance program under the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.
The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act became law.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act became law. Part of the Act amended the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act to strengthen data collection, reporting, and oversight.
- Secretary Martin J. Walsh for the Department of Labor, Secretary Xavier Becerra for the Department of Health and Human Services, and Secretary Janet L. Yellen from the Department of Treasury issued a report to Congress on mental health parity and addiction equity compliance.
The Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Labor developed and released free informational resources to inform Americans on their rights pertaining to their legal rights to mental health and substance use coverage.