Pennsylvania Tells Insurers To Cover Autism Services As A Mental Health Benefit & In Compliance With Parity Laws Starting January 1, 2024

Starting January 1, 2023, commercial health insurers in Pennsylvania that cover autism services must handle the claims in a manner that complies with federal and state mental health parity laws. While the majority of insurers categorize all services for autism as mental health benefits subject to mental health parity requirements, a few commercial insurers in the state have categorized autism treatment services as a physical health benefit.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) notified commercial health insurers on November 4, 2023, about this policy change. It applies to commerical health policies that include coverage of autism services. Approximately 55,000 state . . .