Congress passes bill to stop payers from opting out of mental health coverage

Lawmakers recently passed legislation that would eliminate the option for health plans to effectively opt out of providing coverage for mental health conditions to public workers.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, set to be signed by President Biden, will require insurers to abide by the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which requires health to provide mental health coverage equal to that of physical illnesses, according to a Dec. 22 news release from the Kennedy Forum, a national advocate group for healthcare reform.

"As a former public servant who benefited from mental health and addiction treatment, I believe no public servant should be subject to discrimination that denies that treatment," Patrick Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum and co-lead author of the 2008 legislation, said in the release.

Once passed, the passing of the legislation would prevent new opt-outs from being filed by state or local government plans, and existing opt-puts will be phased out. 

 

 

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