Enforcing Mental Health Parity: State Options to Improve Access to Care

Commonwealth Fund August 5, 2024
JoAnn Volk, Emma Walsh-Alker, Christina L. Goe

TOPLINES

To enforce the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and improve behavioral health care access, states are combining existing enforcement tools with new strategies like reviewing access data and insurers’ benefit determination processes

Ensuring the adequacy of provider networks and expanding the behavioral health workforce are also essential for timely treatment of mental health and substance use issues

Abstract

• Issue: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is the primary federal law that aims to safeguard access to behavioral health treatment for those with private health insurance. However, enforcing the legislation can be complex, and many health insurers have yet to fully comply with the law’s requirements.
• Goals: Identify challenges, effective regulatory tools, and considerations...

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