9.5 The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) expanded the requirements initially provided under the Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA) that group health plans and insurers provide equivalent benefits for mental health and substance disorder benefits.

For this Health Plan, the effective date of the MHPAEA is July 1, 2011. It is the intention of the Board of Trustees and the contracted insurers (Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealthcare) that the Health Plan's benefits be provided in full compliance with requirements of the MHPAEA as of July 1, 2011.

Please refer to the Evidence of Coverage documents provided to you by Kaiser Permanente or UnitedHealthcare for a complete description of the mental health and substance disorder benefits available to you under the terms of the Health Plan through these respective insurers. If you need further assistance or have questions you can call the Administrative Office, go to www.scibew-neca.org, or contact MedExpert by calling (800) 999-1999.