The Recovery Bill of Rights
is a statement of the principle that all Americans have a right to recover from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Learn more…
Campaigns: Addiction Recovery Insurance Equity
The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008
On October 3, President Bush signed the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 into law as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (HR 1424). The law will begin to end the insurance discrimination facing people with addiction and mental illness. Learn more...
Exercise Your New Rights and Benefits
Use the new Parity toolkit. The Parity Toolkit for Addiction and Mental Health Consumers, Providers and Advocates: Simplifying the Appeals Process: Strategies for Winning Disputes with Your Health Plan is a new resource from the Parity Implementation Coalition. Learn all about the law – including how to file complaints and appeal denied claims if you need to.
For more information about the Parity Implementation Coalition (Faces & Voices is a member), go to www.mentalhealthparitywatch.org.
June 21, 2010
A legal victory in the U.S. District Court of the
March 31, 2010
The Parity Implementation Coalition issued a press release with information from an analysis of the final parity regulations that found that health plans must offer a range and scope of addiction/mental health services on par with medical services, but that they can apply equitable cost containment. Read the Executiv Summary here.
Tell Us How It’s Working!
We encourage you to share your personal experiences with the new law – what’s working and what’s not. We need your help to inform members of Congress about whether or not the Wellstone-Domenici Act is making it possible for more people to get the help they need to recover. Are there steps that need to be taken to strengthen the law and improve enforcement? Is your health plan making it easier to access the services that you or family members need? Please download this form to share your experience.
- Has your health plan improved coverage for addiction and mental illness by eliminating treatment limitations or having a lower deductible?
- Has your health plan dropped coverage that it previously offered for addiction and mental illness treatment?
- Is your health plan still imposing an arbitrary limit on covered inpatient days or outpatient visits?
- Is your health plan applying a separate lower deductible or higher cost sharing for outpatient addiction services?
- What’s the name of your health plan?
- What type of plan do you have? (group health plan, self-funded health plan)
- Does the company you work for have more than 50 employees?
- What specific problems are you experiencing in getting coverage for treatment for mental illness and addiction?
- Is there other information you’d like to let us know about?
Thank you! Please email your report to info@facesandvoicesofrecovery.org or mail to MHPAEA, Faces & Voices of Recovery, 1010 Vermont Ave. NW #618, Washington, DC 20005.
Tell Us if You’ve Been Denied Coverage
If you’ve been denied coverage, we’d like to know more about your experience. Please download this form to answer the questions below along with any supporting documentation.
- Short summary and reason for denial
- Date of Service
- Health Plan Summary of Service (Please include MH/SU and Medical/Surgical)
- Explanation of Benefits
- Written reason for denial provided
Thank you! Please email your report to info@facesandvoicesofrecovery.org or mail to MHPAEA, Faces & Voices of Recovery, 1010 Vermont Ave. NW #618, Washington, DC 20005.
Three federal agencies are involved in carrying out the law: the US Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury. For more information about the law, go to the Faces & Voices web site at http://www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/about/campaigns/equity.php.
Getting More Information and Filing a Formal Complaint
1). The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration has benefit advisors who are available to answer your questions about the MHPAEA and give assistance in obtaining your benefits.
You can send an inquiry using an online form at http://askebsa.dol.gov/SecInit/ or call toll- free 1-866-444-EBSA (3272).
2). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a Help Line to answer questions or hear concerns about your health plan’s compliance with the law. Call toll-free 1-877-267-2323 extension 6-5511. You can also send an email to: phig@cms.hhs.gov.
3). Your State Insurance Commissioner. To file a complaint or grievance with your state's insurance consumer complaints division click on this link to the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s Maps and Jurisdictions page: http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm . Click on your state or choose the state name from the drop down menu to get to your State’s Department of Insurance webpage.