Research
Policy Recommendation: Parity for Whom? Exemptions and the Extent of State Mental Health Parity Legislation
This paper summarizes the extent and scope of state parity legislation in terms of the number of insured private-sector employees covered. It explicitly accounts for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) exemption for self-insured plans, exemptions for small employers, and the range of conditions covered by the law.
Key points from the report include: Between 1997 and 2003, the share of workers subject to mental health parity laws greatly increased. But because of exemptions for self-insured firms and small firms, coverage is much lower than a simple tally of state mandates would suggest.
This document is available at http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/4/w483.
