Skip to main content
Choose your location
Select the location and the language that you prefer
What can we help you find?
Service

Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Consulting

Expert MHPAEA compliance services: plan evaluation, risk mitigation and DOL audit support. Litigation-ready solutions for employers.

Navigating Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) compliance can be particularly complex for employers due to intricate testing rules and evolving regulatory requirements. We offer comprehensive MHPAEA compliance services, including plan evaluation, risk mitigation and Department of Labor (DOL) audit support. With a proven track record of successfully guiding over 45 employers through DOL MHPAEA audits, we provide detailed analyses that meet the DOL's stringent requirements. By combining compliance expertise with deep clinical resources, we deliver unmatched solutions to help employers ensure parity compliance and be litigation-ready.

1,000+ MHPAEA assessments completed

Our MHPAEA support services

MHPAEA compliance assessment

  • Evaluating health plans to ensure compliance with MHPAEA regulations
  • Identifying areas for risk mitigation and providing recommended changes to plans

DOL audit support

  • Working closely with clients through DOL audits
  • Helping clients prepare for audits and ensuring they are litigation-ready

Expertise and resources

  • Combining compliance expertise with deep clinical resources to provide unmatched solutions
  • Completing over 1,000 MHPAEA assessments on behalf of self-funded clients
  • Having successfully supported over 45 employers through DOL MHPAEA audits, meeting strict response timelines

Detailed analyses

  • Providing detailed analyses (often 100s of pages long) that are "sufficiently specific, detailed and reasoned" to meet DOL needs

By using our expertise and services, health plans can ensure MHPAEA compliance, mitigate litigation risks and be prepared for DOL audits. For more information on how we can support your organization in achieving Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) compliance, click on the Contact Us button at the top of the page.

Frequently asked questions

The MHPAEA is a federal law enacted in 2008 to ensure that health insurance plans provide equal coverage for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatments as they do for medical and surgical care.

The main purpose is to eliminate discriminatory practices in health insurance coverage that previously limited access to mental health and SUD treatments.
Health plans must provide coverage for mental health and SUD treatments that's comparable to their coverage for medical and surgical care, including similar financial requirements and treatment limitations.
Plans can't impose more restrictive coverage on mental health or SUD benefits than on medical/surgical benefits in the same classification.
Plans must disclose information about their mental health and SUD coverage to participants upon request, including criteria for medical necessity determinations and reasons for denying claims.
The law has significantly expanded access by reducing financial barriers, limiting administrative hurdles and increasing transparency around coverage and benefits.
Yes, the law has been amended and updated over time, including provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to enhance compliance and enforcement.
Ongoing challenges include ensuring consistent compliance among health plans, addressing disparities in network adequacy for mental health/SUD providers and improving enforcement mechanisms.
Continued efforts are needed to ensure equitable access to mental health and SUD care, including better enforcement and oversight.

Health and benefits capabilities

Mental Health Consulting Solutions for Employers

Empowering organizations to build cultures where mental health is prioritized, stigma is reduced and employees can thrive.

Health and Benefits

We partner with you to build an effective employee benefits program that sustains a healthy, high-performing workforce.

Employee Wellbeing

We unlock the business value of employee wellbeing, boosting the effectiveness of total rewards, increasing employee engagement, and improving work-life balance, performance and productivity.

Pharmacy Benefits Consulting

Our pharmacy benefits consulting team includes pharmacists, actuaries, and pricing experts who bring deep expertise in managing the complexities of pharmacy benefits.

Contact us