New mandate for covering mental health and substance abuse may force employers to reduce hospital and drug benefits.

摘要

In the wake of the highly publicized health care reform bill, hospitals and pharmacies that are worried about changes in their relationship with insurance companies and employers might want to refocus on the near term and the potential for marketplace disarray resulting from the implementation of an unheralded law. Congress passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) in October 2008, but it just went into effect for company health plans beginning July 1,2010.