CMS creates mailbox for questions on Medicaid/CHIP mental health parity rule

Jul 22, 2016 - 03:27 PM

Health care providers and other stakeholders may email questions and concerns regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ final rule applying certain provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 to Medicaid managed care organizations, Medicaid alternative benefit plans and the Children’s Health Insurance Program to parity@cms.hhs.gov, the agency announced yesterday. The rule was issued in late March. Technical assistance will begin this fall and continue through 2018, but questions can be submitted to the mailbox at any time, CMS said. The MHPAEA requires group health plans that offer mental health or substance use disorder benefits to provide them at parity with their medical/surgical benefits. For more information on mental health parity, visit www.aha.org/advocacy-issues/mentalhealth/parity.shtml.

Related News Articles

Perspective
Integrating Mental and Physical Health to Better Support Patients and Communities
Seventy years ago, George Brock Chisholm, M.D., the first director-general of the World Health Organization, famously stated that “without mental health there…
Headline
AHA case study: How one rural health system is addressing a shortage of OB/GYNs 
Kittitas Valley Healthcare in rural Washington state last year implemented an innovative new model for retaining essential obstetric and other women’s health…
Headline
CMS finalizes rules to improve Medicaid, CHIP access and payment
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services April 22 finalized rules intended to improve access in both the Medicaid fee-for-service and managed care…
Headline
Massachusetts Medicaid demonstration expands services, continuous eligibility
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services April 19 approved an amendment to a Massachusetts Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program…
Headline
Study: Disparities in access to in-network behavioral health care pervasive
Patients went out-of-network 3.5 times more often to see a behavioral health clinician than a medical/surgical clinician in 2021, and up to 20 times more often…
Headline
Health care leaders examine prior authorization policies
Challenging prior authorization policy requirements were addressed in an AHA Annual Membership Meeting panel discussion moderated by Marilyn Werber Serafini,…