WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday announced new rules meant to push insurance companies to increase their coverage of mental health treatments.
The new regulations, which still need to go through a public comment period, would require insurers to study whether their customers have equal access to medical and mental health benefits and to take remedial action, if necessary. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires that insurers provide the same level of coverage for both mental and physical health care — though the administration and advocates argue insurers' policies restrict patient access.
The rules, if finalized, would force insurers to study patient outcomes to ensure the benefits are administered equally, taking into account their provider network and reimbursement rates and whether prior authorization is required for care.
“Too many Americans still struggle to find and afford the care they need,” the White House said in an emailed statement.
The Democratic president's administration said it's aiming to address issues such as insurers enabling nutritional counseling for diabetes patients but making it more difficult for those with eating disorders.
By measuring outcomes, the White House said, it will force insurers to make modifications to come into compliance with the law.
President Joe Biden has invited CEOs and business leaders to the White House to discuss COVID-19 mandates.
Massachusetts’ governor has activated the state’s National Guard to help with busing students to school as districts across the country struggle to hire enough drivers.
If you want to dine indoors, go to a gym or attend an event at an entertainment venue in New York, you'll need to show proof that you have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
North Korea said Monday that it successfully tested newly developed long-range cruise missiles over the weekend.
The fight for funding for 9/11 survivors and first responders is back on the legislative agenda, as Congress considers a bill to update the funding formula for a key program which could mean billions of additional dollars for care.
The Justice Department on Thursday sued Texas over a new state law that bans most abortions, arguing that it was enacted “in open defiance of the Constitution."
President Joe Biden on Thursday is toughening COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal workers and contractors as he aims to boost vaccinations and curb the surging delta variant that is killing thousands each week and jeopardizing the nation’s economic recovery.
A crowd erupted in cheers and song Wednesday as work crews hoisted an enormous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee off the pedestal where it has towered over Virginia’s capital city for more than a century.
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