2009 September | Behavioral Health Today

Mental Health Providers Lining Up Behind Reforms – Good News For Individuals Suffering From Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders?

The American Psychological Association (APA) announced today that it supports H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, as the basis for health reform. This action follows the American Medical Association’s (AMA) decision to do the same. The benefits of the bill cited by the APA include:

Requiring a “basic benefit package” for all plans [...]

Deadline Extended Till September 23rd – Urge Your Representatives To Sign On For Strong Parity Regulations

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 was passed by Congress on October 3, 2008. Now, it is absolutely essential that the regulations being written by Treasury, Labor and Health & Human Services be issued in such a way as to avoid misinterpretation of [...]

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) & Parity: What Should Employers Do?

The question of what to do with employee assistance programs or EAP when Parity legislation drastically expands behavioral health coverage is not new. We have been dealing with this question for more than a decade. The questions take on several different flavors:

Is it true that mental health and substance abuse coverage will be [...]

Taking the Conservative Approach to Health Spending

This is not meant to be a political statement though it will raise political hackles. It’s purely an observation and a series of nagging questions that I want to get on the table. Last night I read that the average household of four paid $6,000 in premiums for health coverage in the year 2000. [...]

Reform: Parity’s Friend or Foe?

There are two astronomical events happening at the same time: Parity regulations are being crafted to impact more than 100 million Americans while health and insurance Reform packages are being considered -the impact of which will be felt by all of us. Oddly, both are still vague and we lack the foresight to prepare [...]

World Suicide Prevention Day – September 10th – Another Good Reason For Effective Treatment and Coverage

Today is Suicide Prevention Day sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). The relationship between suicide prevention and the breadth and value of behavioral health coverage as well as access to qualified experts who deliver evidence-based practices is clear and crucial. Enhanced care and coverage does [...]

Parity & Reform Must Address Rural Behavioral Health Care and Coverage

So much of what we’re hearing, reading and considering when it comes to behavioral health parity and health insurance reform is a function of our urban and suburban perceptions of health care. I lived and worked in a rural/frontier state for some time and can recall the difficulties and challenges we faced there and [...]

Recent Posts