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This year, senators eager to address mental health care are facing strong headwinds to ensure equality with the idea that health insurers would cover behavioral health and substance abuse on the same basis as physical health.
Why is it important? For decades, advocates have charged that insurers don’t adequately cover behavioral health services. As the consequences of the pandemic become clearer, the issue has become a priority for more lawyers.
driving news; The Senate Finance Committee announced five bipartisan mental health “focus areas” in February, including insurance coverage.
- The panel released discussion drafts on two of the less controversial issues: telehealth and youth mental health. But enforcing “equality” in insurance coverage is causing opposition from insurers and employer groups.
- One sticking point has already been proposed fines for insurers who breach statutory proportionality requirements. Senate GOP aides Republicans have “legislative issues” because the Senate Appropriations Committee shares power with Finance.
- Similarity “Perhaps [be] The last of the five areas to wrap up, there is the assistant.
Between the lines; Under a 2008 law, insurers must ensure equal coverage between physical and mental health. But several federal reports have concluded that it is not happening.
- Department of labor Found this year “Health Insurers Fail to Provide Equity in Coverage for Mental-Health and Substance-Use-Disorder Benefits.”
- “For example, health insurers may cover dietary counseling for medical conditions such as diabetes, but not for mental health conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder,” the department said.
Be smart. If insurers have to cover more mental health care, premiums and costs may increase. Hope to pass that on to the staff It can be especially difficult For corporations in a tight labor market.
What they say: Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asked the insurance lobby about equity and told Axios, “What’s new?”
“[Insurance companies] They are always doing an amazing job, says Wyden. Everyone is fine, they are doing a great job and we should appreciate them.
- America’s health insurance plans came out last month. His own road map For uniformity and the recent “surprise billing” law strengthened existing federal oversight.
- Employers have opposed some of the proposals for uniformity in the game.
- A group of employers He wrote Legislators said earlier this year that the real problem is “the lack of mental health care providers and mental health care providers who refuse to enter our networks.”
What’s next: Mental health legislation could be included in an expected year-end omnibus spending deal, but it may not be ready to be folded into a short-term funding bill due this month to keep the government open.
- “I think everything is pushed to Omni[bus]Sen. Richard Burr (R.N.C.), who leads the Republican-leaning focus area, spoke to Axios about overall mental health efforts. “I’m involved in trying to get a mental health bill, but it’s not going to happen. It’s going to happen in CR.”
The main point is: Despite the opposition, Wyden said he continued to emphasize equality, citing earlier efforts from former Sens. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.).
- “That’s what a ghost network is like: There are no providers, no one to take you to one, and if you get a claim, you can make a few bucks on it,” Wyden said.
- Sen. Michael Bennett (D-Colo.) said in a statement that he is committed to finding a legislative path in Congress to lead the party’s focus area for Democrats.
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