American Society of Addiction Medicine attended the Mental Health and Addiction Parity Forum held on June 16th in Chevy Chase, MD. ASAM Member Dr Daviss was featured as a panel speaker, and former Representatives and legislation authors Patrick Kennedy and Jim Ramstad attended the forum.
The Parity Implementation Coalition was formed to help insure that the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 is properly enforced. The Coalition is holding forums around the nation. Click here to find out where the next hearing will be held.
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) is a federal law that protects a group health plan's mental health and/or substance use coverage benefits.
ASAM member Dr Steve Daviss, Chair of Psychiatry at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center, echoed another panelist's comments that non-quantitative treatment limits (NQTLs) often limit access care. He also noted that obtaining pre-authorization for patients seen in the emergency department is significantly more difficult than for patients needing medical or surgical treatment. Dr Daviss mentioned a phenomenon known as "phantom networks," in which health plans list providers in their networks who in reality are unavailable to provide treatment.
Click here to read and hear more about this week's Parity Forum.