Mental Health Parity

HISTORY:

Equal coverage of treatment for mental illness by public and private insurance programs has been a primary objective of the Kansas Mental Health Coalition for at approximately 20 years. 

The most recent Kansas legislation was passed in 2009.  The Coalition worked with the Kansas Association of Health Plans, the Kansas Association of Addiction Professionals, and the Kansas Insurance Department to present compromise legislation to the 2009 Kansas Legislature intended to streamline Kansas parity statutes and incorporate federal parity provisions.  The compromise was ultimately passed in the late days of the 2009 veto session.  (See attachments related to SB 49 compromise legislation.)

See links in column on left.

Federal Parity Law - The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addictions Equity Act of 2008  was included as an amendment to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and signed by President Bush On October 3.  It amends the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996.  See a brief summary of the legislation here.

Additional publications:

Parity Testimony for House Insurance - Jennifer Cook 2-8-2021.pdf

ACMHCK Testimony on MH Parity to H Insurance 020821_fn.pdf

Wit v UBH gov.uscourts.cand.277588.418.0.pdf

Parity Law: Lessons Learned from California 12-09

Andrew Sperling - Federal Parity Implementation 3-19-10 NAMI

KHI Report on Underinsured 1-09

Parity Fact Sheet - National Council  Re: 2008 Federal Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity Act

Costs of Mental Health Parity 3-1-05

Meta Analysis Research  Clinical Psychology Summer 1999