The proposed rule would reinforce s Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act MHPAEA by requiring insurance providers to update health plans to make sure people have equivalent access between their mental health and medical benefits. The rule would call on insurers to evaluate coverage based on a number of benchmarks including the plans provider network and how much plans pay for outofnetwork coverage. Once the rule is published in the Federal Register which officials expect will occur sometime next week it enters a day public comment period before it can take effect. For millions of Americans mental health care and treatment for substance abuse is out of reach. In less than half of adults diagnosed with mental illness received care. For children the number is even worse Nearly of our kids who seek care for mental health or addiction cannot get it. We must fulfill the promise of true mental health parity for all Americans. He added We have a moral obligation in my view to be there for each other to reach out reach to our neighbors with grief and stress and trauma and despair reach out to them to offer help or just a listening ear to have the courage to ask for help when we need it and its hard because we know that even when it feels as dark as you can get we arent alone. Its important for people to realize theyre not alone. Thats what I want I want everyone in America not to feel isolated or alone to know their country has their back toknow their president have their back. And lets get all Americans the mental health services they need. At the time of the State of the Union address he called on Congress to join him saying And letsget all AmericansThe mental health Services they need and more people they can turn to for help and full parity between mental and physical health care. The proposed rule will close a loophole that exempted federally provided health insurance plans from complying with theMHPAEA a move that the administration estimates would require more than additional health plans. It is making it much easier to enforce when health plans are violating the standards of the rule the official told reporters ahead of the announcement. One of the major things this rule is doing is making. extremely clear what health plans need to do to be in compliance with the requirements of mental Health parity so that regulators have the ability to take those enforcement actions and really hold people to the standards. The administration estimates that the move will require more. than additional insurance plans to improve mental health health care for consumers. The proposal was part of Bidens proposed unity agenda which he unveiled during his State of The Union address. It was also part of a plan to address mental health issues in the U.S. that he unveiled at the time as part of his campaign for the 2016 presidential election. He said he wants to make it easier for Americans to get the care they need to lead a full and productive life to find joy to find purpose to take care of themselves and their loved ones. The plan is expected to be announced at a White House event at the end of the month. The White House has not yet commented on the proposal.
Biden pledges ‘mental health care is health care’ with new rule ensuring mental health
