July 13, 2020

KENNEDY MENTAL HEALTH PARITY LANGUAGE PASSES COMMITTEE

Amendments will increase transparency for insurers

Newton, MA – Congressman Joe Kennedy III today applauded the bipartisan passage of his behavioral health parity language by the House Committee on Appropriations. The policies, which Kennedy originally included in his Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act, will strengthen transparency in all health plans by requiring the annual submission of public compliance reports.

“Almost 12 years after behavioral health parity became the law of our land, insurers continue to skirt the law by hiding behind a curtain of ambiguous regulations and lax enforcement. Public annual reporting will empower patients and families as they decide which insurers can be trusted to provide accessible, reliable, affordable behavioral health care and which ones won’t. By passing these policies in committee today, we will begin to provide patients with the transparency they deserve.”

Kennedy has led efforts in Congress to strengthen behavioral health parity laws and hold insurers accountable for violations. In 2015, he introduced the Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would increase transparency, strengthen accountability and enhance patients’ ability to file complaints. Beyond his work focused on strengthening parity laws, he has introduced legislation to increase access to behavioral health care for low-income workers, pregnant women and children. 

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