Does the sunset of mental health parity really matter?

The 1996 Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA), which became effective in January 1998, is scheduled to expire in September 2001. This article provides an o verview of what the MHPA intended to do and what it actually has accomplish ed. We summarize state legislature actions through the end of 2000 and repo rt on their effects on employer-sponsored mental health coverage using a na tional survey fielded in 1999-2000. We then discuss possible amendments to the MHPA and reforms beyond full parity that might be considered.