Press Releases
GOV. MALLOY APPLAUDS ISSUANCE OF FINAL MENTAL HEALTH PARITY RULE
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy on Friday afternoon released the following statement after the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury issued a final rule implementing the Mental Health Parity Act of 2008:
"This rule issued today is a major, long overdue step towards expanding access to treatment for people in our country living with mental health conditions. I thank the Administration for acting. For too long, mental health issues have been unfairly stigmatized in our society to the point that has resulted in many Americans not having access to the critical treatment that could change their lives. We have seen too many examples of unfortunate events that could have been prevented if only this sort of medical treatment was accessible and utilized."
Over the past year, Connecticut has increased the focus on parity, including:
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Implementing the State Innovation Model under the direction of the Lieutenant Governor and the Health Care Advocate which integrates primary care and behavioral health care, making the two services integral and equal;
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Increasing the focus on parity through legislation (Public Act 13-3), which improves utilization/benefit review of behavioral health services, improving access to needed mental health services;
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Engaging in discussions regarding parity at the state level between the Departments of Insurance and Mental Health and Addiction Services; and
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Issuing a consumer toolkit that Connecticut families and providers can use to submit to insurance companies for preauthorization of medically necessary behavioral health services.
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For Immediate Release: November 8, 2013
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