Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services intend to remove barriers to treatment.
The president’s administration has introduced new rules to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder care for over 150 million people with private health coverage. These rules, issued by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury, intend to ensure that mental health benefits are provided on par with medical and surgical benefits, reducing barriers to care.
“Like medical care, mental health care is vital to the well-being of America’s workers,” said Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su. “The final rules issued today make it easier for people living with mental health conditions and substance use disorders to get the life-saving care they often need.”
The rules build on the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act by adding protections against restrictive treatment limitations, such as prior authorization and biased standards for provider networks. The new regulations require health plans to evaluate the impact of such limitations on mental health access and make necessary changes if access is insufficient.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the Cabinet secretaries as they seek to strengthen access and coverage for mental health and substance abuse care.
- For wisdom for administration officials and advisors as they seek to increase benefits for mental health and substance abuse.
Sources: Department of Health and Human Services
