Georgia is launching an online dashboard allowing residents to report insurance coverage issues related to mental health and substance use claims under the state’s Mental Health Parity Act, The Current reported Feb. 6.
The website will be monitored by Georgians for a Healthy Future, a nonprofit organization, as state officials continue to push for enforcement of a law enacted in 2022 that requires health insurers to cover mental health and substance use conditions on par with physical health conditions.
An audit by the state Office of the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner flagged 22 insurers for violating the law, identifying more than 6,000 parity violations. Issues cited included unnecessary claims reprocessing, inconsistent application of benefits and prior authorization requirements.
Commissioner John King announced nearly $25 million in penalties tied to the violations and required insurers to submit corrective action plans. He also said he would consider increasing penalties for insurers that fail to comply, according to the report.
Mental health advocates are urging the state to direct money collected from the penalties into a new fund supporting community-based mental health and substance use programs.
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