I just completed the Lv60 end-of-Heavensward SCH quest battle last night on my alt, and I don't think this is the case in all circumstances. Succor (AoE healing/shield spell) didn't seem to apply the shield, though single-target Adloquium did. But then the "spread Adlo to party members" spell didn't spread it.
I'm pretty sure the single-target abilities could be applied in ARR as well.
Either way it seems closer to how you can interact with alliance members. You can target a single player from another alliance for a direct spell (certainly for raises, not sure about status effects) but AoE healing spells will only affect players on your party list.