New ACA Guidance Mental Health Parity and Addition Equity 

Final ACA rules issued Oct. 28 essentially adopt proposed rules on short-term insurance, certain excepted benefits, and essential health benefits subject to the ban on annual/lifetime dollar limits. The rules do clarify some deadlines.  But regulators are postponing action to finalize earlier proposals on the excepted-benefit treatment of certain types of indemnity insurance and expatriate health plans. For now, employers and insurers offering expatriate health coverage can continue to rely on guidance in the proposed regulations.

Compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act is the focus of a host of federal initiatives announced Oct. 27. Along with releasing a final report from President Obama's Mental Health Parity and Substance Use Disorder Task Force and new ACA FAQs, regulators are stepping up MHPAEA enforcement reviews and consumer outreach efforts.