Last week, Congress got a step closer to passing a Mental Health Parity bill after years of debating the issue. The bill would require insurance companies to provide the same coverage for physical and mental ailments.
For more than a decade, both houses have passed different versions of the legislation only to see it fall apart at the end. The biggest hiccup now seems to be that the bill doesn't specify which mental disorders it will include.
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29
September
A few months ago, the MA Division of Health Care Finance and Policy (DHCFP) released a study that showed that mandated health insurance benefits cost insurance purchasers about $1.3 billion - or 12% of their premiums - each year. Thanks to DHCFP for publishing the study. This issue is always the source of heated debate, and it’s nice to have a piece included on it that tries to inform the discussion.
Business people read the study and said, “Ah ha! Mandates cost a lot of money!†That would be correct. Health care advocates read the study and said, “Ah ha! Mandates don’t cost that much money!†That’s correct too - sort of. As usual, where you stand depends on where you sit, how much twelve percent is worth to you for what you’re getting, and who pays the bill.
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22
September