A powerful report by Milliman confirms insurers are not adhering to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (The Federal Parity Law), which requires them to treat illnesses of the brain, such as depression and addiction, the same way they treat illnesses of the body, such as diabetes and cancer.
The alarming report found reimbursement rates for mental health and substance use disorder treatment providers, through private insurance plans, were far lower than reimbursement rates for other medical providers, relative to Medicare rates.