MD HB280

Codifies federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requirements into Maryland state law, giving the Maryland Insurance Administration explicit authority to enforce mental health parity regulations

Requires health insurance carriers to collect and evaluate data assessing the impact of nonquantitative treatment limitations on access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits compared to medical/surgical benefits

Mandates that health benefit plans provide "meaningful benefits" for each covered mental health condition and substance use disorder, defined as coverage for core treatments in every classification where medical/surgical core treatments are covered

Establishes that material differences in access between mental health/substance use disorder benefits and medical/surgical benefits constitute a "strong indicator of noncompliance," requiring carriers to document corrective actions within 15 working days

Expands definitions of "mental health benefits" and "substance use disorder benefits" to align with WHO International Classification of Diseases and APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual standards, effective July 1, 2026