For some time, including during President Trump’s first term, the federal government has supported mental health parity. In his second term as President, Trump is doing away with rules intended to enhance mental health parity protections and ensure health insurers are accountable for failing to adhere to them. Moreover, the Trump administration has cut funding for the federal agency that oversees mental health parity for working people, reports Maya Miller and Jeremy Kohler for Pro Publica.
Congress passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) 17 years ago to stop health insurers from treating mental health differently than physical health care. Under the law, insurers must charge copays and apply prior authorization for mental health services in the same way as they do for physical services.
President Donald Trump once recognized the mental health crisis in the US. He saw it as a national crisis. He even ensured that community mental health services had adequate resources, providing tens of millions of dollars in funding to support these services. And, Trump gave additional funds to the federal agency overseeing insurer compliance with mental health parity laws. But, that was in his first term as President.
In his second term, President Trump is blocking mental health protections and ending rules that hold health insurers accountable for denying mental health parity. The consequences could be dire for patients unable to get their insurers to cover critical mental health care. Insurers know that they are not likely to be held accountable for withholding needed care or inadequate mental health provider networks.
The Biden administration had finalized rules that would have required insurers to report the mental health services they approve and deny as compared with medical services and explain any disparities. The Trump administration has ended that requirement, at least for now.
To be clear, the trade association for large employers claimed the mental health parity rules were unclear and a burden. The employers wanted the rules undone and sued the government to block their implementation. The trade association prevailed. The Trump administration is not enforcing the rules and has not yet decided whether it will do so.
Medicare Part A covers inpatient care for people needing mental health treatment in a hospital or a psychiatric hospital. In a psychiatric hospital though, coverage is limited to 190 days in a lifetime. Medicare Part B pays for one depression screening each year. It also covers a welcome to Medicare visit, when people first join Medicare.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Will Medicare continue to cover telehealth mental health services?
- Medicare coverage of mental health care
- 2025: Access to mental health care worsens
- For your mental health, feed your brain
- Medicare mental health care cost and access issues
