White House Releases Parity Enforcement Recommendations

To enforce the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Parity Act), a federal task force recommended that the Departments of Labor (DOL) and Health and Human Services (HHS) conduct more health plan audits and reviews, and update guidance to address the applicability of parity to opioid-use disorder services. A secondary recommendation focused on helping consumers and provider organizations understand their rights under the Parity Act. The task force also recommended that Congress provide the DOL with the authority to assess civil monetary penalties for parity violations.

The Parity Act applies to health plans that offer mental health benefits . . .