The Biden administration is cracking down on US health insurers that are not providing mental health care as required by federal law.
They have proposed new rules to ensure compliance from US health insurers and are threatening large fines for non-compliance.
US health insurers are claiming innocence. With support from big companies, US health insurers argue that the administration’s plan could worsen an already difficult problem.
US health insurers argue that the administration’s plan could exacerbate the issue and state that they are already working to improve access to care through telehealth and expanding provider networks.
US health insurers claim that the real problem lies in the shortage of qualified mental health care providers.
However, a report found that none of the studied insurance plans were following the 2008 law.
The administration believes that US health insurers are limiting mental health care reimbursement to save money.
Biden’s new rule require private insurance companies to offer the same coverage for mental health services as they do for physical health services, addressing a gap in the US healthcare system, ABC News reported.
The proposed rule would require US health insurers to have enough mental health providers in their networks, eliminate roadblocks for mental health care. The president is calling on Congress to invest $85 billion per year in mental health care ABC News added
READ MORE| ‘The rule has sticks as well’: Biden’s getting tough with health insurers