Online IOP for College Students and Emerging Adults in MA
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires insurance coverage for mental health conditions, including substance use disorders, not to be substantially more restrictive than insurance coverage for other medical conditions. Even though the MHPAEA was enacted in 2008, it has been an uphill struggle to implement it fully. Mental health care continues to be covered at lower rates than medical or surgical care, leaving many families and individuals lost or unsure where to turn when they are denied coverage.
Cover My Mental Health, founded by Joe Feldman, MBA, is a new resource that supports self-advocacy for insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment. The website has a library of easy-to-use and digest information on topics related to medical necessity denials, telehealth denials, and other obstacles and denials, as well as action plan outlines and tips for success. The Austen Riggs Center is pleased to be listed as a collaborator, along with Compass Health Center and Patrick J. Kennedy, on this critical resource.
Feldman became an advocate for mental health access after his personal experience of fighting with insurance companies (and winning) to secure coverage for a family member’s treatment. He has worked with legislators and regulators, is on the board of The Kennedy Forum Illinois, presents to parent groups, and co-authored actionable guidance with Austen Riggs Center Medical Director/CEO Dr. Eric Plakun and others that appeared in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice.
Dr. Plakun remarked, “Thank you, Joe, for having the energy, vision, and passion–garnered from your experience as a parent trying to get insurance to pay for your child’s treatment–to launch this important new resource for individuals and families who are struggling to get access to care that their insurance policies guarantee, but that is often withheld in insurance companies’ relentless pursuit of ‘excess revenue’ (aka profit) at the expense of those in need.”
More Mental Health Parity Resources
- Effective Medical Necessity & Appeal Letter Templates (authored by Joe Feldman, MBA; Eric Plakun, MD; Mark DeBofsky, JD; and Cheryl Botts, MBA)
- A Wake-Up Call for Health Plans: U.S. Supreme Court Rejects United Behavioral Health’s Appeal by Riggs clinical staff member Dr. Kate Gallagher
- U.S. Department of Labor - Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity
- American Psychiatric Association – Mental Health Parity
Related Resources
A Wake-Up Call for Health Plans: U.S. Supreme Court Rejects United Behavioral Health’s Appeal
March 4, 2024
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to consider United Behavioral Health’s appeal of a Tenth Circuit decision in a case involving the denial of a behavioral health claim.
Insurance Coverage Tips from Utilization Review Nurse Lisa Bozzuto, MEd, RN
November 14, 2023
Utilization Review Nurse Lisa Bozzuto, MEd, RN, talks about what patients and their families can expect when it comes to insurance coverage for Riggs treatment.
