Mental Health Parity Discussed
For those that are unaware, Mental Health Parity refers to the law that regulates how insurance providers cover mental health conditions.
Historically, insurance companies have limited coverage for mental illness. In time, an imbalance with medical coverage became so blatant that many of the limitations could no longer be justified. The problem wasn’t going to take care of itself, so mental health advocates and elected officials worked together to pass Parity laws at the state and federal levels. Patrick Kennedy was at the forefront of that battle, and he continues to work on enforcement of the laws.
The problem, according to Kennedy, is that “At best, we’re seeing inconsistent compliance with the law”. A story recently ran on CBS 60 Minutes, “Denied”, explored the problems that still exist with the failure to cover conditions as required by law.
Patrick Kennedy commented on the story on his The Kennedy Forum website. We invite you to learn more about Mental Health Parity laws, and pass this information on so that those with mental illness can all get the treatment they need.