APA consumer guide promotes parity awareness

Four percent of Americans know there is a federal mental health parity law that requires insurance coverage of services for mental health and substance use disorders comparable to physical health coverage.

Such low public awareness measured in an online survey commissioned last year by the American Psychological Association has prompted efforts to educate consumers and policymakers about the existence of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Passed in 2008 and taking effect Jan. 1, 2011, the mental health parity law prohibits annual limits on sessions and higher co-pays or deductibles for treatment of mental health disorders or substance use.

Last December, the APA mailed packages containing 50 copies of a free consumer guide to all 50 state psychological associations as well as grassroots organizations to hand out to legislators and state health officials at meetings or to the public at community health fairs and other events, said Luana Bossolo, associate executive director of public relations for APA Practice Directorate.

The four-page guide is downloadable in PDF format from the APA Web site. APA members can also request free printed copies through the Web site’s Help Center. The guide was developed after the APA met with focus groups to evaluate a short video explaining the mental health parity law. The video can also be viewed online.

“We asked them what would help them and that’s when people were responding that some sort of guide to tell them about the law would be helpful,” Bossolo said.

Bossolo said about 30,000 copies of the guide were printed.

The APA commissioned Harris Poll to conduct an online survey between March 7 and 24, 2014 of more than 1,000 adult Americans in which only four percent of respondents were aware of the law. The four percent awareness level was the same as that recorded in a 2010 APA poll, despite increased national attention on mental health and access to services, and the White House led National Dialogue on Mental Health developed after the elementary school mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The 2014 APA survey found that 61 percent of adults reported having adequate mental health coverage, though many reported details of insurance coverage at odds with parity law provisions. About 29 percent said their insurance had different co-pays or other limits for mental health care and 24 percent said they were unsure if their insurance offered the same coverage for mental and physical health. Also, 56 percent said their current health insurance provides coverage to see a psychologist or other mental health professional.

It was estimated that more than 41 million Americans experienced mental illness in 2012, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In addition, an estimated 10.7 million Americans had an unmet need for mental health treatment, SAMHSA reported.

The American Psychiatric Association recently created a poster intended for display in the offices and waiting rooms of psychiatrists and other mental health providers entitled “Fair Insurance Coverage: It’s the Law.” The poster details a patient’s rights under the parity law and what steps to take if they suspect a violation. Providers can write in their state insurance commissioner’s name and number for patients. The poster can be downloaded from the association’s Web site.

“I think insurance in general is very confusing for many people. The more organizations are out there spreading this information the better,” Bossolo said.