1/24/2022 MHAMD Weekly Legislative Update
Advocacy, Advocacy, Advocacy & Public Policy, Behavioral Health, community behavioral health providers, crisis services, legislative reception, Maryland, Maryland General Assembly, Maryland Mental Health, Maryland Parity, Mental Health, Mental Health Insurance, MHAMD, MHAMD Briefing, parity, substance use, subtance use
2022 Children, Youth and Families Agenda The Children’s Behavioral Health Coalition (CBHC) brings together state and local advocacy groups with a focus on policy issues and concerns specific to children, youth and families with mental health and substance use needs. CBHC works to ensure children across Maryland have equitable access to high quality and culturally …
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3/19/2020 MHAMD Weekly Legislative Update
Advocacy, Advocacy, Advocacy & Public Policy, Behavioral Health, keep the door open, Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition, Maryland General Assembly, Maryland Parity, parity, Parity laws
MHAMD Friends and Supporters – Amid concerns over spread of the novel coronavirus, the 441st legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly ended at 5PM yesterday – nearly three weeks earlier than planned. It is believed to be the first time the session has been cut short since the Civil War. While the last few days …
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3/2/2020 MHAMD Weekly Legislative Update
Advocacy, Advocacy, Advocacy & Public Policy, Behavioral Health, grassroots organizing, help, hope, Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition, Maryland Insurance Administration, Maryland Parity, Mental Health, MHAMD, parity, Parity laws
What a week! Thank you to everyone who came out for the Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition’s 2020 Keep the Door Open Rally. Hundreds of you flooded Annapolis to demand a restoration of nearly $25 million in budget cuts to community mental health and substance use treatment, the appropriate enforcement of federal and state parity laws, and the rest of the Coalition’s 2020 Legislative Agenda. Thank …
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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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Open Enrollment for Health Insurance Has Arrived, Here Are Resources About Mental Health Coverage
All Categories, health insurance, Mental Health Insurance, parity, Parity laws
Today marks the beginning of Open Enrollment for the health care marketplace for 2019 coverage. It runs through December 15, 2018 (although some states may offer longer enrollment periods). To look into coverage options, visit here. For Maryland residents, you can visit the Maryland Health Connection.
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Millman Parity Report
All Categories, Maryland Parity, Mental Health, parity
At the urging of MHAMD and others, the Maryland General Assembly and the Maryland Insurance Administration have taken important steps in recent years to ensure the proper implementation of the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Unfortunately, according to the findings in a groundbreaking new national report, there is still much work to …
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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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10 Things You Should Know About the Mental Health Parity Law
Advocacy, Maryland Mental Health, Maryland Parity, parity, Parity laws, Paying for Care
1. Current regulations went into effect in January of 2010. The Wellstone and Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was passed in 2008, but Interim Final Regulations were released in 2010. All insurance plans that are not specifically exempted from the law must now be in compliance.
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