Evaluating State Mental Health and Addiction Parity Statutes: A Technical Report
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Particularly with the concurrent alcohol, opioid, and suicide epidemics ravaging states
across the country, states must make parity enforcement a priority in order to increase
access to critically needed treatment. Robust state parity enforcement will save not
only lives but also benefit state budgets by encouraging commercial insurers to pay for
treatment to which beneficiaries are entitled, reducing costly late interventions and cost
shifts to payers such as Medicaid.
The authors hope that the transparency of comparing state parity statutes will inform readers
unfamiliar with the variations in state parity law and serve as a catalyst for action. A template
for excellence in state mental health parity statutes has been established in this report,
enabling states to significantly improve access to care needed to improve the lives of millions
of Americans who cannot access the mental health and substance use disorder treatment
they need.
Please send any questions, feedback, or comments the corresponding author.
