Parity, Pared Down: Accessing Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Care
10 Dec, 2019
Parity, Pared Down: Accessing Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Care
Individuals often face myriad barriers to accessing mental health and addiction services and these obstacles can have a particularly devastating effect on people living with HIV (PLWH). However, in 2008, the Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act (also known as the federal parity law) was passed and required, for the first time, that health insurers that cover mental health and addiction benefits do so equally with other medical and surgical benefits.
Though the 2010 Affordable Care Act and subsequent regulations expanded and clarified many of the federal parity law’s requirements, many NYS providers and advocates have found themselves asking the same question. What does this mean for us and the folks with whom we work?
This 3-hour in-person training will offer a brief overview of the federal parity law, provide examples of common parity violations, and articulate the ways in which patients, providers, and advocates can enforce their rights under both federal and New York State parity provisions.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
State the major requirements of the federal parity law,
List which types of insurers must comply with the federal parity law;
Identify common insurance practices that violate the federal parity law;
Understand how limited to no access to mental health and addiction services negatively affects communities (e.g. PLWH) that are already underserved;
Access NY’s new helpline, “CHAMP,” for substance use disorder and mental health services;
Describe steps that New York State individuals and providers can take to enforce their parity rights.
Audience: NYS health and social service providers, attorneys and others who work with people affected by mental health or substance use disorders.
Prerequisite: None
Important Registration Information!
To register for this training, click here and enter your account log-in information. If you do not have an account with hivtrainingny.org, you will need to sign up for one before registering for this course.
