Bill
SB 205
Maryland codifies federal mental health parity requirements into state law, mandating insurers provide equivalent mental health and substance use disorder coverage to physical health services.
SB 205 codifies existing federal mental health parity requirements into Maryland state law, requiring health insurers to provide equivalent coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatments as they do for physical health services. The bill essentially translates federal mandates (primarily the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act) into state statute to ensure consistent enforcement and protection at the state level.
Mental health parity laws address a documented problem: insurers historically imposed stricter limits, higher copays, and more denials for mental health care than physical health care, even though federal law technically prohibited this since 2008. By codifying these requirements in state law, Maryland creates an additional enforcement mechanism and ensures protections survive potential federal policy changes. This directly affects hundreds of thousands of Marylanders with health insurance seeking mental health and addiction services.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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