U.S. Department of Labor
Health Benefits Advisor for Employers
Glossary
Mental Health Benefits and Substance Use Disorder Benefits
Benefits with respect to services for mental health conditions and substance use disorders, as defined under the terms of the plan and in accordance with applicable Federal and State law. These regulations further provide that the plan terms defining whether the benefits are mental health or substance use disorder benefits must be consistent with generally recognized independent standards of current medical practice. This requirement is included to ensure that a plan does not misclassify a benefit in order to avoid complying with the parity requirements.
