Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force final report released
All Categories, Uncategorized
In October, the President’s Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force released its final report on the state of mental health and substance use parity following the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The task force recognized that there is “more work …
Read more
Maryland Behavioral Health Advisory Council develops plan to expand crisis services
All Categories, Behavioral Health, crisis services
Expanding crisis services in Maryland Earlier this year, Governor Hogan signed SB 551 / HB 682 into law. The bill requires the Maryland Behavioral Health Advisory Council (BHAC) to develop a strategic plan for ensuring that all Marylanders have access to 24/7 clinical crisis walk-in services and mobile crisis teams. The Crisis Response System was …
Read more
US District Court Certifies Class Action Mental Health Lawsuit
All Categories, Uncategorized
Last month, the US District Court for the Northern District of California certified a nationwide ERISA class action suit against United Behavioral Health (UBH). The lawsuit alleges that UBH is in violation of ERISA because they systemically deny coverage for mental health treatment. ERISA requires that medical necessity be evaluated according to generally accepted standards …
Read more
TRICARE Will Comply with Federal Parity Act
All Categories, Uncategorized
Recently release federal regulations will bring TRICARE, the insurance plan for active and retired service members and their families, into compliance with the federal parity act. TRICARE has always had a comprehensive benefit package for mental health services, but was previously exempt from parity compliance. Until recently, there were higher copayments for outpatient behavioral health …
Read more
5 ways you can raise awareness during National Suicide Prevention Week
Advocacy & Public Policy, All Categories, Behavioral Health, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Mental Health, National Suicide Prevention Week, Suicide
This week, September 5-11, individuals and organizations are sharing personal stories, information and resources on social media for National Suicide Prevention Week. Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in Maryland and the numbers have increased in recent years. What can you do to raise awareness during National Suicide Prevention Week? Here are five …
Read more
Network Adequacy Series, Part IV: We need your help to ensure strong insurance networks
All Categories, insurance, Maryland, Maryland Insurance Administration, Maryland Mental Health, Maryland Parity, Mental Health, Network Adequacy, parity
On April 26, 2016, Governor Hogan signed HB1318-Health Benefit Plans-Network Access Standards and Provider Network Directories into law. This landmark legislation based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Network Adequacy Model Act will dramatically improve insured Marylanders’ ability to use their health insurance to access care. The legislation enables the Maryland Insurance Administration …
Read more
Maryland breaks the ice about stigma
Advocacy & Public Policy, All Categories, Behavioral Health, grassroots organizing, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Mental Health, stigma, substance use, volunteer
Last month, six individuals left California on a 5 million-step cross-country marathon called The IceBreaker Run to start a dialogue about the barriers that exist between mental illness and mental health.
Read more
Join MHAMD’s volunteer Citizen Action Team
Advocacy & Public Policy, All Categories, Behavioral Health, grassroots organizing, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Mental Health, volunteer
Want to learn more about behavioral health topics? Interested in volunteering with the Mental Health Association of Maryland? Join the Citizen Action Team! The Citizen Action Team brings together consumers, providers, advocates, and passionate individuals to help those living with mental illness and addiction pursue fulfilling lives. With the Citizen Action Team, you will have …
Read more
Breaking the ice and starting the conversation about mental health
Advocacy & Public Policy, All Categories, Behavioral Health, children's mental health, children's mental health matters, health insurance, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Mental Health, stigma, volunteer
Earlier this week, six runners left California on the IceBreaker Run. These six runners will run a marathon each day as they travel from California to Virginia, stopping along the way to start community conversations about mental health. The six runners have diverse backgrounds and experiences, but each one has had their life touched …
Read more
Guest Post: “Celebrating through Art!” – Carrie McGraw, Maryland Department of Disabilities
All Categories, children's mental health, children's mental health matters, Mental Health
The Children’s Mental Health Matters Campaign, coordinated by the Mental Health Association of Maryland and the Maryland Coalition of families, helped to plan this event to kick off Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in Maryland. — “Governor Hogan declared May 1st through 7th Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in Maryland. To bring recognition to this …
Read more
Network Adequacy Series, Part II: What are state and federal regulators doing about it?
All Categories, health insurance, Maryland Parity, Network Adequacy, parity
In the first part of this series, we defined network adequacy and explained why it was critically important to ensure access to care for insured individuals. While most people agree that this issue is a top priority, there has been very little movement in some states to provide more consumer protections. In Maryland Maryland …
Read more
Network Adequacy Series, Part I: What is all the fuss?
All Categories, health insurance, Maryland Parity, Network Adequacy, parity
A network adequacy report MHAMD released in January 2015 sparked a firestorm of debate early in the legislative session. The finding that only 14% of the 1,154 psychiatrists listed on the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE) Qualified Health Plan networks were accepting new patients within 45 days was widely quoted by advocates, the press …
Read more
