New Federal Rule Gives Regulators Enhanced Tools to Ensure Equitable Access to Behavioral Health Care

Last fall, the Biden Administration finalized a rule updating standards for the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), the primary federal law that aims to safeguard access to behavioral health treatment for those with private health insurance. The new rule requires insurers to collect and analyze outcome data to assess whether their treatment limits make it harder for consumers to get behavioral health care. The changes reflect the approach a growing number of states are taking to implement MHPAEA, and strengthen regulators’ ability to oversee and enforce parity.

In a new blog for the Commonwealth Fund, JoAnn Volk and Billy Dering discuss the new requirements for use of “non-quantitative treatment limits” (NQTLs): treatment limits that cannot be easily measured yet can impose significant barriers to getting care. They also look at how states are already using outcome data to ensure parity.

You can read the full blog post here.