New Kid on the Block: Mental Health Gets a Boost from Federal Regs! Hold onto your hats, folks! There's a fresh set of rules rolling out from our friends in Washington that's shaking up the way health insurers cover mental health and substance use treatments. On a fabulous Monday reveal, it was announced that these new regulations are going to make mental health care more user-friendly and wallet-friendly. And guess what? It's all about revving up the engines on the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Remember that one? It tried to get insurers to treat mental health on par with physical health. Well, it's getting a major facelift! Why Hasn't This Worked Before? The big brains in the Biden administration pointed out some real head-scratchers with how insurers have been handling things. Despite the fancy laws, providers were falling short when it came to covering conditions like depression, anxiety, and everyone’s least favorite guest, addiction. Turns out, the rulebook wasn't exactly being followed to a T. Government to the Rescue: Upscaling Mental Health Access In a heartwarming response to staggering statistics from 2020—less than half of adults with mental health issues got the help they needed—the White House is stepping up. Their game plan? Make sure insurers treat mental health just like they would a broken arm or a bad flu. The hope is to beef up in-network health care options, while also cutting down on those pesky copayments and out-of-pocket cos… Read more