Mental health parity in health insurance has been tried and failed multiple times. So what do the rocket surgeons in DC want to do? Try again. It must be an election year . . .
Congress first passed the Mental Health Parity Act in 1996. Lawmakers amended the law in 2008, and again in 2020, partly for the purpose of giving federal regulators more tools to enforce compliance.
One study cited by White House aides showed people with health insurance are more than twice as likely to seek out-of-network care for mental health conditions than for physical health conditions.
The new rule would attempt to crack down on some health insurers’ more subtle tactics, too, like offering lower rates to out-of-network mental health providers or imposing prior authorization requirements for mental health care at a higher rate than for most physical health services or procedures.
[EXTERNAL LINK] - White House unveils plan to make insurers cover mental health care
This approach ignores the fact that a large number of mental health practitioners operate strictly on a pay as you go basis and do not accept insurance assignment.
Congress first passed the Mental Health Parity Act in 1996. Lawmakers amended the law in 2008, and again in 2020, partly for the purpose of giving federal regulators more tools to enforce compliance.
One study cited by White House aides showed people with health insurance are more than twice as likely to seek out-of-network care for mental health conditions than for physical health conditions.
The new rule would attempt to crack down on some health insurers’ more subtle tactics, too, like offering lower rates to out-of-network mental health providers or imposing prior authorization requirements for mental health care at a higher rate than for most physical health services or procedures.
[EXTERNAL LINK] - White House unveils plan to make insurers cover mental health care
This approach ignores the fact that a large number of mental health practitioners operate strictly on a pay as you go basis and do not accept insurance assignment.
