Mar 25, 2016
This week, the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, along with many of our colleague organizations, met with officials from SAMSHA, HHS, and the Department of Labor. The meeting was focused on how treatment for mental health and substance use disorders are being dealt with under the Affordable Care Act.
For some time, we have strongly advocated for stronger enforcement of Parity. We have also pushed for clearer directions to the States who are largely responsible for initial enforcement of Parity Law.
We are happy to report that progress has been made on both fronts. During our recent meeting, HHS outlined a new assessment tool it developed to determine if state Parity compliance. They will soon also be publishing a toll-free number for any consumer who believes he or she has experienced a Parity violation. The number of Parity violations, as well of the nature of the occurrence, will be reported. Materials are also being developed to clarify the critical role States play in enforcement.
This is major progress when one considers we were told several years ago that our federal partners were not aware of any problems with how Parity was working. We know that there are many Parity violations every day. It is reassuring to know that progress is being made to enforce the law as Congress intended. While we still have a long way to go, we are moving in the right direction.
