Mental Health Parity

Mandated federal mental health parity guidelines become effective with plan renewals January 1, 2010.  We suggest that you review your Summary Plan Descriptions for any necessary changes.

Plan design to treat mental health and chemical dependency benefits must be treated in the same manner as any other illness.  This would mean that any limitations currently in place for these benefits need to be removed and mental health/cd benefits need to be subject to the same deductible and coinsurance provisions as any other illness funded by the plan.  This includes both in and out of network provisions.

 Plans are eligible to file for an exemption to the parity requirements only after at least 6months of data after implementation of parity compliant design indicates plan costs increased greater than 2% and would be actuarially predicted to exceed 1% in subsequent plan years.  If this is the case, the plan will have to provide notification along with Actuarial certification to the DOL and Treasury to validate this exemption.

 Taft-Hartley Trusts’ compliance with parity is determined by their joint labor-management agreements.

 MINES believes that effective management of mental health/cd issues should be a key initiative in the overall goals and objectives of a company’s plan.  If you are self-insured,   MINES provides managed behavioral healthcare to assist you in your parity compliance.  

 Benefit Fair Time

It’s time to schedule your benefit fair or open enrollment meetings.  Please notify us as soon as possible if you would like for MINES to participate in your event. 

 Congratulations To:

The Children’s Hospital – The Colorado SHRM State Council and the 6 local SHRM chapters chose the hospital as one of this year’s winners of the Best Large Companies to Work for in Colorado.

 Association of Legal Administrators held their annual vendor fair on August 27.  This was by far the largest and most successful of these events to date.  A fun Mardi Gras time was had, not only by the ALA folks, but by the vendors as well. 

 Judy Braun

Peggy Hill

Britney Kirsch

Account Management