Closing the Mental Health Treatment Gap
The Mental Health Parity and Access Act was signed into law today, dramatically strengthening requirements that insurance companies cover mental health and substance abuse treatment on the same terms as physical health conditions.
Despite existing parity laws, insurers have long used loopholes to restrict access to mental health care through higher copays, limited provider networks, and burdensome prior authorization requirements. The new law closes these loopholes and provides real enforcement mechanisms.
What Changes
- Insurance companies can no longer impose stricter limits on mental health visits than on physical health visits
- Prior authorization requirements for mental health treatment are capped and streamlined
- Mental health provider networks must be comparable in size to physical health networks
- $3 billion in grants to expand community mental health centers in underserved areas
"Mental health is health, period," said the Surgeon General. "This law ensures that when someone has the courage to seek help, insurance companies can't stand in their way."
