Consolidated Appropriations Act and Mental Health Parity FAQs
IRS Issues Guidance on Taxability of DCAP Benefits for 2021 and 2022
Consolidated Appropriations Act and Mental Health Parity FAQs
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) amended the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) to provide additional protections. On April 2, 2021, the DOL, Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury jointly issued FAQs to clarify these amendments.
In particular, the CAA requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to conduct comparative analyses of the nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs) used for medical and surgical benefits as compared to mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits. The comparative analyses, and certain other information, must be made available upon request to applicable agencies beginning Feb. 10, 2021.
- When plans and issuers must make their NQTL comparative analyses available;
- What information plans and issuers must make available;
- Reasons why documentation of comparative analyses of NQTLs might be insufficient;
- What types of documentation should be made available; and
- What actions the Departments might take for noncompliance.
IRS Issues Guidance on Taxability of DCAP Benefits for 2021 and 2022
