Labor & Employment Symposium - Topics: Religious Accommodations—Vaccinations; DOL Mental Health Parity Audits
Podcast: What's New for Insurers in Mental Health Parity Compliance - Diagnosing Health Care
Department of Labor Imposes Additional Requirement on Employer-Provided Health Services
Summary: Under a final rule released by the Biden administration on Sept. 9, 2024, health insurers will be required to cover mental health care and addiction services on par with other medical conditions. This rule is part of...more
The White House has finalized the new Mental Health Parity rule, which focuses on increasing access to mental health/substance use disorder treatment through nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTL) data and reporting,...more
The U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (collectively, the “Tri-Departments”) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on August 3, 2023, to propose new regulations for the...more
On April 11, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in Ryan S. v. UnitedHealth Group, Inc., set a very broad pleading standard to allege a violation of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on April 11, 2024, that AGG’s class action lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiaries for the wrongful and systematic denial of mental health and...more
In the United States, mental health (“MH”) and substance use disorder (“SUD”) (collectively “MH/SUD”) have continued to represent areas of intense concern. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the MH struggles of essential workers...more
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires health plans and insurers to offer mental health coverage in “parity” with a plan’s medical or surgical coverage. In 2024, as the post-COVID era brings a...more
In the August issue, we delved into the proposed regulations under the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (“MHPAEA”), as amended by the Affordable Care Act. By way of...more
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires health plans to provide mental health benefits, including coverage for substance use disorders (SUDs), that are in “parity” with medical and surgical...more
Last week, the departments of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services (collectively, the Departments) published long-awaited proposed regulations intended to clarify and improve compliance with the federal mental...more
On July 25, 2023, the tri-agencies of the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments) issued a compendium of guidance designed to facilitate compliance with the Nonquantitative Treatment...more
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires health plans to provide equal levels of coverage for mental health conditions and substance use disorders (SUD) as for physical illnesses. Understanding and...more
Regulators are now better armed to cite and fine health plans that are not complying with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008. A recent report to Congress highlights the enforcement work to date...more
On January 25, 2022, the U.S. Departments of Labor (“DOL”), Treasury, and Health and Human Services (the “Departments”) provided a report (the “Report”) on Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”) compliance...more
On January 25, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”), Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of the Treasury (collectively, “Departments” or “Regulators”) released their 2022 Annual Report to Congress on...more
Erica Erman and Gregory Moore discussed some of the top developments in behavioral health during Dickinson Wright’s Health Law Summit. Below is a summary of what was discussed. ...more
On Tuesday, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, and the Treasury (the Departments) issued their joint report to Congress on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The Consolidated...more
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008’s (“MHPAEA”) provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “CAA”) became effective February 10, 2021 and added a requirement for group health plans and...more
In Nathan W. v. Anthem Bluecross Blueshield of Wisconsin, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42127 (M (D. Utah Mar. 5, 2021), a federal court held that conclusory allegations of discriminatory medical necessity criteria were sufficient to...more
The extent to which a health plan may exclude coverage for mental health treatment modalities has become an active area in ERISA litigation. In Doe v. United Behavioral Health, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43146 (N.D. Cal. March 5,...more
On April 2, 2021, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury (collectively the “Departments”) jointly released nine (9) questions and answers (“FAQs Part 45”) related to recent changes made...more
As described in a recent blog post, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 amended the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) to require group health plans and health insurance issuers (collectively, “group...more
On April 2, 2021, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (the “Departments”) issued Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) related to the implementation of the mental health and substance use disorder...more
Among the requirements under the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (the “MHPAEA”) group health plans and health insurance issuers must apply any processes, strategies,...more
The Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2021 was signed into law on December 27, 2020 and is an impressive 5,593 pages. According to the Senate Historical Office, the Act is the longest bill ever passed by Congress. Buried...more