Archived News Release Caution: Information may be out of date.
|
Release Date: 09/26/2002
Release Number: 02-19
Contact Name: Gloria Della
Phone Number: 202.693.8664
|
Printer
Friendly Version
|
|
Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare
Benefits Administration (EBSA) today announced a technical amendment in the
Federal Register extending the original sunset date for the interim final
regulations under the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA) to December 31, 2002. |
On January 10, 2002, President Bush signed H.R. 3061 (Pub. L. 107-116), the 2002
Appropriations Act for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education. This legislation included a provision that extended the
original sunset date under MHPA. Since Congress is still considering
substantive changes to MHPA, the technical amendment published today only
applies to the law’s sunset provision to reflect the change made to MHPA’s
sunset provision by H.R. 3061. |
MHPA requires that annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health benefits be
no lower than the dollar limits for medical and surgical benefits offered by a
group health plan. The law applies to group health plans (or health
insurance coverage offered by issuers in connection with group health plans)
that provide both medical/surgical benefits and mental health benefits. |
For more information about mental health benefits, call EBSA’s
Toll-Free Employee & Employer Hotline number at 1.866.275.7922 or visit the website at
www.dol.gov/ebsa to obtain a
free copy of “Questions and Answers: Recent Changes in Health Care
Law." The technical amendment is scheduled to be published in the
September 27, 2002
Federal Register. |
U.S. Department of Labor
news releases are accessible on the Internet. The information in this news
release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large
print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the Central Office for Assistive
Services and Technology. Please specify which news release when placing
your request. Call 202.693.7773 or TTY 202.693.7755. |
Archived News Release Caution: Information may be out of date.
| |
|