New regulations introduced by the Department of Health and Human Services would require health insurers to improve access to mental health services for their members.
The newly proposed regulations seek to strengthen the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act by requiring health care payers to analyze their members’ access to mental health services by looking at their medical management processes, the adequacy of their provider networks, and the rates they pay those providers. This, HHS believes, would help ensure that insured individuals’ access to such services is as good as their access to physical health care services. Insurers also would be required to analyze the outcomes of such care to ensure that the resulting changes in insurer practices also are leading to equitable access to quality mental health services.
Learn more about how the administration proposes strengthening the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act from this HHS news release and this White House fact sheet.