DOL Releases New FAQ on Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

The US Department of Labor released new FAQ on Implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 on May 9, 2012.  The FAQ are fairly general and contain little new or not previously released information. A few noteworthy items include-

• Q6 asks if nonquantitative treatment limits (NQTL) are analyzed as quantitative treatment limits, mathematically. The response is very clear that there are no mathematical rules for analyzing NQTLs, but the response does not specify how the NQTLs are analyzed.
• The response to Q8 clarifies that retiree-only plans (such as the Maryland State Employee Retiree Plan) are NOT subject to federal parity regulations. The response also states that if a non-federal government plan wishes to opt-out it must take certain administrative steps, such as sending a notice to members.
• Also of note is USDOL states they are committed to working worth stakeholders including state regulators, plan issuers, providers, and beneficiaries to promote compliance with MHPAEA.