Mental Health Parity Act of 1996

Title VII of the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997 is entitled the "Mental Health Parity Act of 1996." This act amends ERISA to establish parity between mental health benefits and medical/surgical benefits for employers that choose to offer both.

Full text of the law (PDF): http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=104_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ204.104.pdf

A detailed summary of the law: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/ManagedCare/Parity/Summary.asp  

Consumer Questions and Answers on the Mental Health Parity Act: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/ManagedCare/Parity/Consumer.asp 

Employer Questions and Answers on the Mental Health Parity Act: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/ManagedCare/Parity/Employer.asp 

Interim Rules HIPPA Mental Health Parity Act; Proposed Rule: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/ManagedCare/Parity/PRTYREG.asp