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Release Date: 12/16/2004
Release Number: 04-10
Contact Name: Gloria Della
Phone Number: 202.693.8664
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Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced a
technical amendment extending the interim final rules under the Mental
Health Parity Act (MHPA) to December 31, 2005. |
President
Bush signed the extension as part of the Working Families Tax Relief Act
of 2004 (P.L. 108-311, 118 Stat. 1166), extending the sunset date of MHPA
to December 31, 2005. |
The
original MHPA contained a sunset provision requiring that provisions of
the Act would not apply to benefits for services furnished on or after
September 30, 2001. MHPA has been amended three times before to extend the
sunset date. |
MPHA
requires that annual or lifetime dollar limits for mental heath benefits
be no lower than the dollar limits for medical/surgical benefits offered
by a group health plan. The Act applies to group health plans or health
insurance coverage offered by issuers in connection with a group health
plan that offers both mental health and medical/surgical benefits.
However, it does not require plans to offer mental health benefits. |
The
technical amendment extending the sunset date is set to be published in
the December 17, 2004 Federal Register. For more information about mental
health benefits, contact EBSA at 1.866.444.EBSA (3272) or visit the Web
site at www.dol.gov/ebsa to obtain a free copy of “Questions and
Answers: Recent Changes in Health Care Law.” |
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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. |
