Nonquantitative treatment limitations

Health plans and insurers must apply the January 1, 2025 federal parity rules to covered mental health and substance-use benefits, preserving those standards under state law.

What the law does ​

• Requires individual, small-group, and large-group health plans and insurance policies to comply with federal mental-health and substance-use parity rules, regulations, and guidance as they stood on January 1, 2025.
• Requires the Department of Managed Health Care and Department of Insurance to review provisions that conflict with or materially differ from federal regulations and jointly issue compliance guidance.
• Allows the departments to issue that guidance without the standard state rulemaking process.

Who it affects ​

• Health care service plans and health insurers offering individual, small-group, or large-group coverage.
• Enrollees receiving covered mental health or substance-use disorder benefits.
• The Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance.

Context ​

The law does not create new covered services; it codifies standards governing parity for benefits a policy or plan already covers.