BALTIMORE – Maryland Insurance Commissioner Kathleen A. Birrane has announced that the Maryland Insurance Administration will hold its first virtual public hearing on mental health parity reporting regulations.
Legislation enacted during the abbreviated 2020 Session of the General Assembly requires insurers, nonprofit health service plans, health maintenance organizations and any other entity that offers health benefit plans in Maryland to submit reports to the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) to demonstrate compliance with the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, also known as MHPAEA. The Legislation, codified at Md. Code Ann. Section 15-144, sets forth the content of the reports, which are due in March 2022 and March 2024.
The new law requires Commissioner Birrane to adopt by December 31, 2021, a standard report form and regulations implementing the reporting requirements, including ensuring uniform definitions and methodologies to be used by insurance carriers when preparing the required reports. The law directs the MIA to work closely with interested stakeholders to develop the regulations.
The first public hearing will be held on Monday, November 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will include presentations by
- Milliman, Inc., on its national reports analyzing behavioral health disparities in network access and provider reimbursement;
- The Path Forward in the Mid-Atlantic;
- The Bowman Family Foundation, concerning recommendations as to the non-quantitative treatment limitations that satisfy the reporting requirements; and
- interested persons who have requested the opportunity to present.
Noting the Governor’s Commission to Study Metal and Behavioral Health in Maryland on which she serves, Commissioner Birrane said “the Hogan Administration is deeply committed to assuring that Marylanders have access to mental and behavioral health services, including substance abuse treatment. That includes addressing disparities in access to treatment. I welcome the opportunity to work with stakeholders to develop regulations to implement the parity reporting requirements that will allow us to identify and address those disparities.”
The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act became federal law in January 2009. Generally, the law requires that financial requirements and limitations imposed on coverage for mental health and substance use disorder benefits be no more restrictive than financial requirements and limitations on coverage for medical/surgical benefits.
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