The final rule implementing the Affordable Care Act’s Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) issued on November 8 creates for the first time the possibility of a safe haven from the insurance practices that began in the late 1980s. These practices intruded on the relationship between provider and patient, restricting treatment for people with mental illnesses and all but decimating treatment for substance use disorders.

The scope of MHPAEA services: a full continuum of care, including residential treatment, and enabling patients to pursue out-of-network treatment in another state if they are allowed to do so for medical-surgical care. For example, if a health plan allows patients from Virginia to go to the Mayo Clinic for medical care, it has to let them go to a behavioral health facility for substance abuse treatment.

“We are pleased that the Affordable Care Act will provide more flexibility for patients in choosing residential and out-of-network treatment in another state,” said Jim Dredge, CEO for The Meadows. “It is a victory for all patients seeking treatment.”

For more information, visit Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.