Agencies report on health plan compliance with mental health, substance use disorder parity

The departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury yesterday released their latest report to Congress on group health plan compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, and requirements under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 for the plans to provide comparative analyses of their Non-Quantitative Treatment Limitations for compliance review on request. According to the report, the Employee Benefits Security Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued over 200 enforcement letters requesting comparative analyses, and 26 plans and issuers to date have agreed to make prospective changes to their plans due to CAA enforcement.

“The report’s findings clearly indicate that health plans and insurance companies are falling short of providing parity in mental health and substance-use disorder benefits, at a time when those benefits are needed like never before,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.