What is Mental Health Parity?

Where health insurance is concerned, mental health parity means that mental health conditions and substance use disorders must be treated equally as other health disorders. Federal law prevents group health plans and health insurance issuers that provide mental health and substance use benefits from offering different benefit limitations on these conditions than on other medical benefits. For instance, if your plan offers unlimited physician visits for a chronic condition like asthma then it must offer unlimited visits for a mental health condition such as depression.

Your Rights as a Policyholder

When it comes to mental health and substance use disorders, you have rights as a policyholder.

• Your health plan must provide information about the mental health and substance use disorder benefits it offers. 
• You have the right to request information about benefits offered and the criteria the plan uses to decide if a service or treatment is medically necessary. 
• If you are denied mental health or substance use disorder benefits by your plan, you must be provided with a written explanation for the reason of denial.
• You have the right to appeal an adverse or negative decision.

For more information on the federal parity law, see the Department of Labor mental health at work resources or contact the Louisiana Department of Insurance Office of Consumer Services.