{"id":1337,"date":"2024-09-10T11:45:22","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T11:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/10\/white-house-announces-rule-that-would-cut-insurance-red-tape-over-mental-health-and-substance-use-disorder-care\/"},"modified":"2024-09-10T11:45:22","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T11:45:22","slug":"white-house-announces-rule-that-would-cut-insurance-red-tape-over-mental-health-and-substance-use-disorder-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/10\/white-house-announces-rule-that-would-cut-insurance-red-tape-over-mental-health-and-substance-use-disorder-care\/","title":{"rendered":"White House announces rule that would cut insurance red tape over mental health and substance use disorder care"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Biden administration announced a final rule on Monday meant to expand access and lower costs for care for mental health and substance use disorders. Most provisions in the rule will apply to group health plans and health insurance issuers for plan years starting January 1 or after. <\/p>\n

\u201cMental health care is health care. But for far too many Americans, critical care and treatments are out of reach. Today, my Administration is taking action to address our nation\u2019s mental health crisis by ensuring mental health coverage will be covered at the same level as other health care for Americans. There is no reason that breaking your arm should be treated differently than having a mental health condition,\u201d President Joe Biden said in a statement. <\/p>\n

The rule reinforces the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, known as MHPAEA, a 2008 federal law that requires that insurance plans that cover mental health do so at the same level as physical health. Despite the law, insurers have often made it difficult for people to access in-network mental health care, White House Domestic Policy Advisory Neera Tanden said during a briefing. Instead, people have still paid high costs for mental health care, often needing to go out of network and pay out of pocket. <\/p>\n

The rule instructs insurers to evaluate coverage based on several criteria, including the plan\u2019s provider network, how much plans pay for out-of-network coverage and how often prior authorization is required and approved under existing plans, according to the administration. <\/p>\n

\u201cNo one should have to drain their savings or go into debt to get help for themselves or their loved ones,\u201d Tanden said, adding that the change could help 175 million people with private insurance access care using their own plans. <\/p>\n

The final rule will also close a loophole that exempted federally provided health insurance plans from complying with the MHPAEA \u2014 a move that requires more than 200 additional health plans to improve mental health care for 120,000 consumers, the administration estimates. <\/p>\n

Tanden emphasized that access to mental health care is \u201ccrucial for the well-being of our families.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAs you all know, mental challenges touch every corner of the country. As many as two in five American adults have anxiety or depression. Tragically, suicide is the second leading cause of death among the among young people at ages 10 to 24 years old,\u201d Tanden said, calling the numbers \u201cunacceptable.\u201d <\/p>\n

Enforcement of the rule will fall to the departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services, administration official have said. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, workers have faced unnecessary hurdles in accessing mental health and substance use disorder treatment\u2014barriers that can mean the difference between life and death. The Biden-Harris administration is committed to tearing down these walls, ensuring that every worker has equal access to the care they need to thrive, both physically and mentally,\u201d Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su said in a statement. <\/p>\n

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