Mental Health Parity and Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance in 1999-2000

The most problematic differences in insurance benefits are limits in coverage because plans with limits partially insure individuals against smaller expenses but leave them at full risk for high expenses that exceed the limit. Limits protect the insurer against high costs, not the individual. The authors examined whether mental health benefits have changed markedly since parity legislation was enacted. They analyzed preliminary data from the employer survey in the Health Care for Communities study, including responses from July 1999 through July 2000.