Drug Addition now Covered under Employer Plans

[crazy^millman]

California Senate Bill (SB) 855 – California Mental Health Parity Act (Revised)

SB 855 updates and expands the California Mental Health Parity Act of 1999 and requires health plans and insurers to provide treatment for all mental health and substance use disorder conditions under the same terms and conditions that are applied when treating medical conditions that are medically necessary.

SB 855 applies to health plans and policies, including grandfathered plans, issued, delivered, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021. The bill defines "medically necessary treatment of a mental health or substance use disorder" as "a service or product addressing the specific needs of that patient, for the purpose of preventing, diagnosing, or treating an illness, injury, condition, or its symptoms, including minimizing the progression of that illness, injury, condition, or its symptoms," and defines "mental health and substance use disorders" as those conditions listed in the most recent edition of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases or in the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

SB 855 further requires that plans utilize utilization management guidelines and criteria developed by nonprofit professional associations, when available, and that clinical staff is trained in the application of these guidelines and criteria. Training will also be available to providers and enrollees.

SB 855 does not apply to Medicare Advantage, Med-Supp, Medi-Cal, Cal Medi-Connect (CMC), Stand-Alone Dental or Vision, and Self-funded, ASO and Shared Advantage.

Please see California Mental Health Parity for additional information.

Got this in this the email today. That along with Covid-19 Mandates for making sure all employees have needed PPE.    

[rdshear]

So is food considered a "Substance" that could be abused - meaning someone could get weight loss treatments under this?

[neurosis]

Or cigarettes?

[rdshear]

Or Alcohol...?

[crazy^millman]

California for you.

[RobertELee]

How 'bout porn and gambling?

Asking for a friend....[size=50](Incog)[/size]  

[neurosis]

[JParis]

The way that bill is written is stodgy at best....

That said, I am ALL for legalization or at the very least decriminalization of drug possession, with the added caveat that users looking to get clean should be treated as patients rather than convicts.

The hole that we pour money down in the "War on Drugs" could easily be diverted to helping people get clean.

JM2C

[HTM01]

does that mean they cover medical marijuana

[TylerBeer]

The way that bill is written is stodgy at best....

That said, I am ALL for legalization or at the very least decriminalization of drug possession, with the added caveat that users looking to get clean should be treated as patients rather than convicts.

The hole that we pour money down in the "War on Drugs" could easily be diverted to helping people get clean.

JM2C

A-f#$?!ing-men

[byte]

So, what's drug addition?
1 + 1 = weed?
Asking for the fish.