1/11/2021 MHAMD Weekly Legislative Update
Advocacy, Advocacy & Public Policy, community behavioral health providers, grassroots organizing, health insurance, keep the door open, legislative briefing, Legislative Wrap-Ups, Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition, Maryland General Assembly, Maryland Insurance Administration, Maryland Parity, Mental Health, MHAMD, Network Adequacy, resources
It’s a new year and the Maryland General Assembly is set to convene for the 442nd time this Wednesday, January 13 at noon. This session will look and feel a lot different than usual – most of the proceedings will be conducted virtually – but the resulting policy and budgetary actions will impact Marylanders just the same. …
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2/17/2020 MHAMD Weekly Legislative Update
Advocacy, Advocacy, Advocacy & Public Policy, Behavioral Health, keep the door open, Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition, Maryland Parity, MHAMD, Network Adequacy, parity, Parity laws
It’s a busy week for MHAMD and the Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition! Bill hearings are scheduled for many of the Coalition’s Keep the Door Open 2020 priorities and the General Assembly will get it’s first look at the FY 2021 Behavioral Health Administration budget. Here are some of the priority bill hearings we’re focused on this week and an ACTION ALERT you can complete …
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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 …
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New consumer advocate finds her voice
Adults, Behavioral Health, grassroots organizing, health insurance, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Maryland Parity, Mental Health, Network Adequacy, parity
A guest post from consumer advocate Jessica S.: As a consumer of behavioral health services for many years, it was not until I pursued specialty treatment for PTSD that I learned the depth of the injustice to behavioral health consumers done by insurance companies. It was an accepted norm that the therapy I needed would …
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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 …
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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 …
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Proposed Bill Could Potentially Decrease MD Funding
All Categories, health insurance, Maryland Parity, Network Adequacy, parity
On December 12th, 2013, Representative Tim Murphy (R – Pa) introduced the bill “Helping Families in Mental Crises Act of 2013” that aims to decrease mental health spending and increase mental illness spending. Within the 135-page document, Congressman Murphy highlights a number of changes he believes will fix the mental health system, such as creating an …
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