Web site to track parity
A new Web site for tracking parity state by state was announced during the opening session of the third annual Kennedy Forum National Conference held in Boston in June.
ParityTrack.org, a project of the Kennedy Forum and the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, tracks implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 through reports that analyze legislation, regulatory actions and litigation at federal and state levels, according to information provided by the forum.
“It’s to find out where your state stands on the implementation of a federal law that guarantees all your state’s residents who have addictions or mental illnesses and whether they are getting treated the same as they would in another state,” said former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.). “The only way we will be able to do that is to develop metrics state by state to effectively measure regulations, how we are going on regulation and how we are going on case law.”
He said that’s important in providing a clear picture going forward in helping form policy on mental health in this country.
Twelve states are already included on the site, including Massachusetts. The site will expand over the next year and eventually represent all 50 states and D.C., according to a news release. The site was created through a partnership with the Scattergood Foundation and the Treatment Research Institute, both based in Philadelphia.
Getting the federal 2008 parity law fully implemented is one of the main goals of the Kennedy Forum, founded in 2013 by Kennedy. He was a lead sponsor of The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which is meant to prevent group health plans and health insurance issuers from imposing less favorable benefit limitations on mental health or substance use disorder benefits than on medical or surgical benefits.
“This wasn’t a sexy issue such that I had to fight my way to put my name first on a bill that required the brain get equal coverage under the insurance system,” Kennedy said. “Only [seven] years ago, we got the law passed and we are only beginning to see this implemented.”
Parity and challenges to achieving it in the health care system were the focus of the panel discussion held at the start of the third annual Kennedy Forum and live streamed.
Panelists, hosted by Ceci Connolly, managing director of PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute, touched on issues such as incarceration of those dealing with mental illness, veterans dealing with mental illness, suicide, disability rights, stigma and ways to address all of these issues, including policy changes and philanthropy.
Panelists included Paul Dillon, a Vietnam veteran and principle of Dillon Consulting Services; Connecticut state Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Jr.; Judge Steve Leifman, associate administrative judge of the Miami-Dade County Court; and Katherina Rosqueta, founding executive director for the Center for High Impact Philanthropy.
Other goals of the Kennedy Forum are to bring together business leaders and government agencies to work on issues of stigma, equal access to care, consumer rights and better policy.