HEART Act

The Help Expand Access to Recovery and Treatment (HEART) Act of 2005 aims to ensure that health insurance coverage for substance abuse treatment is treated the same as coverage for medical and surgical care. Under this bill, group health plans and individual insurance providers would be prohibited from imposing stricter financial requirements, such as higher co-pays, or more restrictive treatment limits on addiction services than they do for other physical health services. These protections would apply to most insurance plans, though exceptions are provided for small employers and plans that experience a significant increase in costs as a result of these requirements.