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June 04, 2021

Mental Health Parity Top Priority for Biden

In April, DOL began auditing employer-sponsored health plans for compliance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act' requiring plans to document and analyze why their coverage for mental health services and medical services differs.  DOL representatives state that plans who are not in compliance may be required to notify their participants that they are not meeting the law. On March 5, in Doe v. United Behavioral Health et al, the U.S. District Court of Northern District of California ruled that United violated the mental health parity law by failing to provide coverage for a core treatment for autism – applied behavioral analysis therapy. The House Education and Labor Committee’s Health Subcommittee held a hearing on April 15 where members called for the enactment of the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 1364) to create civil penalties for employer health plans or health insurers who are in violation of the Mental Health Parity Law.