Latest News On Parity

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Kids’ Mental Health Care Leaves Parents in Debt and in the Shadows

KFF Health News Original

A youth mental health crisis and a shortage of therapists and other care providers who take insurance are pushing many families into financial ruin. But it’s rarely acknowledged as medical debt.

Mental Health Services Wane as Insurers Appear to Skirt Parity Rules During Pandemic

KFF Health News Original

A report from the Government Accountability Office paints a picture of an already strained behavioral health system struggling after the pandemic struck to meet the treatment needs of millions of Americans with conditions like alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Study Gives Mixed Reviews On Laws To Equalize Cancer Patients’ Out-Of-Pocket Costs

KFF Health News Original

Most states have laws that require that cancer patients who get their treatment orally rather than by infusion in a doctor’s office not pay more out-of-pocket. A new study finds that the impact of those laws is mixed.

Why Don’t We Have Mental Health Parity?

KFF Health News Original

The law says insurance companies must pay for mental health benefits the same as they do everything else. Addiction as much as diabetes. Depression as much as cancer. But around the country, consumers are taking their insurers to court saying the companies are refusing to pay up. The insurance providers say mental health is complicated, […]

Advocates Say Mental Health ‘Parity’ Law Is Not Fulfilling Its Promise

KFF Health News Original

A landmark federal law requiring insurers to cover mental illness as they would any other disease is not being followed or enforced, say patient advocates and attorneys. Insurers say they have taken “tremendous steps.”

Battle For Mental Health Parity Produces Mixed Results

KFF Health News Original

Some of the obvious problems, such as separate deductibles for mental health care, have been eliminated. But advocates are concerned about more subtle insurance processes, such as reviews of medical necessity, that could be hampering coverage.

A Q&A On Achieving Mental Health Parity In Medicaid Managed Care

KFF Health News Original

Emily Feinstein, the director of health law and policy at the substance abuse and addiction center CASAColumbia, discusses her expectations for a proposed mental health parity rule in Medicaid managed care, and outlines some of the issues in play regarding these proposed regulations.