The Parity Implementation Coalition (PIC), a group of addiction and mental health consumer and provider organizations committed to the implementation and enforcement of the 2008 parity law and regulations, is encouraged by the release of the Task Force’s report. “We thank the federal agencies for their ongoing efforts to clarify and fully implement the federal parity law as it was intended by Congress,” said PIC Co-Chair Mark Covall, who is president and CEO of the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS). “We are particularly pleased that one of the immediate actions was the release of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Consumer Guide to Disclosure Rights, which lists critical documents consumers are entitled to receive from their health plans.”
Today, the White House Parity Task Force issued recommendations to the President for improving the implementation and enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The Departments also issued additional guidance on the implementation of MHPAEA and tools to assist consumers with navigating the law.