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Mental Health Parity Act Spurs Early Action Among Employers

Posted on: Monday, 29 June 2009, 09:05 CDT

Some have begun full-parity plans ahead of deadline; new case studies available

CHICAGO, June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- ComPsych reports the majority of its customers are revamping their benefits plans to comply with the Mental Health Parity Act, and that a significant amount already have gone "full parity," though the deadline for compliance is Jan. 1, 2010. ComPsych Corporation is the world's largest provider of employee assistance programs and worldwide leader in GuidanceResources (EAPs, behavioral health, wellness, work-life and crisis intervention services). The Mental Health Parity Act requires that annual or lifetime dollar limits as well as treatment limits on mental health benefits be no lower than medical and surgical benefits offered by an employer.

** For a copy of the new report featuring three case studies on behavioral health cost savings, send an e-mail to jhudson@compsych.com. **

"Employers are worried - and rightly so - that complying with the Mental Health Parity Act will cause their behavioral health costs to increase," said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych. "However, with a strategic approach of early intervention and increased use of the employee assistance program, our customers have been able to contain and even reduce behavioral health costs as employees are treated on the less-expensive end of the behavioral health care spectrum."

About ComPsych

ComPsych has more than 25 years of experience as a specialized behavioral health care provider, covering more than 29 million individuals and 11,000 organizations throughout the U.S. and 97 countries. The company's integrated model of EAP with work-life and managed behavioral health fully engages employees to get care much earlier than a medical-focused program and then ensures employees are individually matched with the most appropriate level of care. This cost-effective model positions the EAP for early intervention as well as assessment, so that employees are provided the right help at the right time, reducing the need for more intensive and costly levels of care. For more information, visit www.compsych.com.

SOURCE ComPsych Corporation

Source: PR Newswire

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