NAMI and Leading Organizations Applaud New Mental Health Parity Rules
From NAMI.org, September 9, 2024 —
Finalized Federal Rules Strengthen Mental Health Parity Protections
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) celebrates a major step in our decades-long advocacy to achieve true mental health parity. The Biden-Harris Administration finalized new rules aroundstrengthening mental health parity protections, increasing accountability and enforcement mechanisms. The rules were announced today in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at an event featuring leading Biden-Harris Administration officials and members of NAMI Wisconsin.
“NAMI is grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for making mental health parity a priority, and for taking this important step to help people access life-saving care,” said Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., CEO of NAMI. “Every day, people are faced with unfair and potentially deadly consequences when they aren’t able to access the mental health care they need and deserve. These changes reflect what we’ve all known for a long time: we need to do better for people with mental health conditions. There is no health care without mental health care.”
First proposed by the Administration in 2023, these rules strengthen enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), landmark legislation passed in 2008 that requires most health insurance plans to cover mental health and substance use disorder treatment at parity with medical/surgical treatment. MHPAEA marked major progress in the fight to end discrimination by health plans against people with mental health conditions – but limits in enforcing it persisted. These new rules — finalized [September 9, 2024] by the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services — address some of those challenges.
“All of us at NAMI know just how difficult it can be to find coverage that truly treats mental health care in the same way as other types of health care,” said Gillison. “The changes announced today will help close the gap between the landmark federal mental health parity law and the reality that far too many people face when trying to access mental health care, moving us closer to the goal of achieving true parity. As we have for the last 45 years, NAMI will keep fighting until everyone with a mental illness can receive equitable treatment and timely access to quality, affordable mental health care.”
Throughout the rulemaking process, NAMI has been vocal to ensure that the real experiences of people with mental illness are heard by regulators to counter industry pushback. A NAMI advocate introduced and stood next to the President when the rules were proposed last July, and NAMI advocates submitted thousands of comments urging the Administration to finalize these rules.
NAMI and Other Leading MH/SUD Organizations Applaud New Parity Requirements
Other leading national groups representing people with mental health and substance use disorders and the clinicians who care for them also applauded the newly released final rule to strengthen enforcement of the federal parity law that would improve access to mental health and substance use care. Together, the 17 undersigned organizations issue the following statement:
“Our organizations represent millions of people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders and their families and mental health and substance use providers. Together, we thank the Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health & Human Services for taking this significant step to ensure that more people have timely and affordable access to needed mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) treatment.
The landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which passed with strong bipartisan support has been law for more than 15 years and requires most health insurance plans to cover MH/SUD treatment the same way they cover treatment for any other disease. However, our organizations routinely hear from people who face unfair and potential deadly consequences when they are unable to access necessary MH/SUD care when they need it. In response, Congress amended MHPAEA on a bipartisan basis through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to strengthen the existing federal parity law.
Last year, the Biden-Harris Administration released a proposed rule outlining policies to implement the new requirements. During the federal public comment period, an overwhelming majority of stakeholders who voiced an opinion on the proposed rule were people represented by our organizations. Advocates shared their lived experience with persistent challenges to obtaining timely, affordable care and underscored the urgent need for stronger enforcement of the parity law.
Rule Will Force Health Insurance Companies to Remove Discriminatory Burdens, Improving Timely Access
These new requirements are critical to meeting the needs of people as the U.S. continues to address ongoing mental health and overdose crises. These changes will narrow the gaps in access by requiring health insurance companies to demonstrate with data that people seeking MH/SUD care have the same access to in-network services – without having to jump through more hoops – as those seeking physical health services. By strengthening the accountability tools available to oversight agencies, the final rule will force health insurance companies to remove discriminatory burdens, making it easier for people to receive timely access to MH/SUD treatment.
We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for listening to the voices of thousands of our advocates. We are proud to support this rule as an important step towards health equity for all.”
(Signed)
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
ACA Consumer Advocacy
American Association on Health and Disability
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association Services
Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy, & Action
Inseparable
International OCD Foundation
Lakeshore Foundation
Legal Action Center
Mental Health America
National Federation of Families
Partnership to End Addiction
Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health
REDC
The Kennedy Forum
To learn more about NAMI’s position on mental health parity, click here.
