The Biden administration announced new proposed rules to reinforce legislation requiring insurance companies to cover mental health benefits to the same degree as medical and surgical benefits, with administration officials citing the stark lack of access Americans have to mental health care. The proposed rule reinforces the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act’s (MHPAEA) fundamental goal of ensuring that families have the same access to mental health and substance use benefits as they do physical health benefits. Specifically, the proposed rule would require health plans to make changes when they are providing inadequate access to mental health care, make it clear what health plans can and cannot do, and close existing loopholes.
