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News
The Trump administration is charting a new course on mental health parity, issuing Department of Labor guidance aimed at ensuring health plans cover behavioral health on par with physical health. The move shifts away from Biden-era compliance reporting requirements and focuses on insurer practices like prior authorization and network adequacy. A proposed regulation is expected by December.
The Trump administration is taking a fresh swing at mental health parity, with the Department of Labor issuing new enforcement guidance to ensure health plans cover behavioral health at the same level as physical health. The guidance — signed by Assistant Secretary Daniel Aronowitz — zeroes in on insurer practices like blanket coverage exclusions, prior authorization, and network adequacy, while stepping back from the Biden administration's compliance reporting framework, which was challenged in court by an employer group.
The backdrop is stark: the U.S. is in the grip of a mental health and substance use crisis, with millions of Americans unable to access or afford care. Many therapists don't accept insurance, and more than half of adults with a mental illness report going untreated.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Despite a 2008 federal parity law, gaps in behavioral health coverage remain wide. The new guidance signals a regulatory reset — and a proposed rule expected by December could reshape how insurers manage mental health benefits for millions of Americans.
