Government
Mental health parity passed in Washington, debated in Oregon
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 28, 2005
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire recently signed into law a mental health parity measure that requires health insurers to treat mental and physical illnesses equally. Under the law, insurers must pay for treatment of mental illness the same way they would physical illness and charge co-pays for drugs and services at the same level.
Oregon is also considering such a measure and would join 25 other states that already have mental health parity laws. Federal legislation has been introduced but failed to pass in the past several sessions of Congress. State parity laws do not apply to health coverage offered by self-insured employers. Their benefits are regulated by the federal government under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/03/28/gvbf0328.htm.
