Other Protections and Information for Wisconsin Health Insurance

What Other Consumer Protections Exist?

• The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) is a federal law that includes protections for individuals who elect to undergo breast reconstruction following a mastectomy. More information is available on the U.S. Department of Labor Web site at http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/womens.htm.
• The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA) is a federal law that may prevent your group health plan from placing annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health benefits that are lower than annual or lifetime dollar limits for medical and surgical benefits offered under the plan. More information is available on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Web site at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa1/content/mhpa.asp.
• The Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act (Newborns' Act) is a federal law that requires group health plans that offer maternity coverage to pay for at least a 48-hour hospital stay following normal childbirth and at least a 96-hour stay in the case of Cesarean section. More information is available on the U.S. Department of Labor Web site at http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/newborns.htm.
• The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is a federal law that, under certain circumstances, gives you the right to continue coverage under your group health plan for a limited period of time after your eligibility for coverage terminates. More information is available on the U.S. Department of Labor Web site at http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/cobra.htm.

Where Can I Obtain Additional Information?

• U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL)
  1-866-4-USA-DOL (toll-free)
  http://www.dol.gov
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)
  1-877-267-2323 (toll-free)
  http://www.cms.hhs.gov
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
  1-877-696-6775 (toll-free)
  http://www.hhs.gov
• Office for Civil Rights
  1-877-696-6775 (toll-free)
  http://www.hhs.gov/ocr
• Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan (HIRSP)
  1-800-828-4777 (toll-free)
  http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/hirsp