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.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell once again doubled down on the easy money policies that have defined the central bank's response to the pandemic-fueled economic downturn.
Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Cynthia Choi joined Cheddar to discuss anti-Asian hate crime reporting and what Americans can do to combat incidents of racial discrimination against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
With COVID cases rising in many places, governments are facing the dilemma to push on with a vaccine that is known to save lives or suspend use of AstraZeneca over reports of dangerous blood clots in a few recipients.
The police break up of a weekend vigil for a young murder victim abducted in London has touched off a national debate in Britain.
As a worldwide semiconductor shortage hammers American industries, trade groups are reaching out to the Biden administration with pleas to boost production in the U.S.
Microsoft President Brad Smith will testify before a House Judiciary subcommittee on Friday.
The Vatican has decreed that the Catholic Church won't bless same-sex unions, saying that God “cannot bless sin.”
More than a dozen congressional Democrats from New York, as well as both senators, put out statements in what appeared to be a coordinated release Friday morning, calling on the state’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, to resign.
What is up next for the Biden administration now that it has clocked its first major legislative win? This is your Washington Week Ahead.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
