As the US presidential election approaches, both the Democratic and Republican nominees are increasingly working to attract voters.
According to multiple outlets, the Biden Administration announced new regulations on Monday, September 9, designed to ensure that 175 million Americans with private health insurance can access affordable mental health care.
Studies reveal that in 2020, less than half of the US adults with mental illness were able to access care, and nearly 70 percent of children could not receive treatment.
The new rule, proposed last summer, aims to address these gaps by requiring health insurers to review which mental health providers are covered, how much they are paid, and how often prior authorizations are required or denied.
This may lead health plans to include more mental health providers in their networks. Most of these changes will take effect in 2026.
Currently, patients with private health plans pay an average of $1,500 per year out-of-pocket for mental health care, which is double what those without mental health conditions pay.
This discrepancy is often due to seeking care from out-of-network providers.
Lisa Gomez, Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor, noted that finding a provider for mental health issues should not be more difficult than finding one for physical health issues.
