FAQs: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Final Rule for Medicaid and CHIP

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Rule for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Under the March 2016 final rule, CMS applied certain mental health and substance use disorder parity provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) to the coverage provided to enrollees of Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), Medicaid alternative benefit plans (ABPs), and CHIP to ensure that financial requirements and treatment limitations on mental health and substance use disorder benefits generally are no more restrictive than the requirements and limitations that apply to medical and surgical benefits in these programs. CMS has received a number of questions regarding this final rule, and the purpose of this FAQ document is to capture the most common questions and concerns that have been identified by states and stakeholders.

The FAQs are available on Medicaid.gov at https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/federal-policy-guidance.html.