CMS Releases Standardized Medicaid & CHIP Mental Health Parity Reporting Templates

In early October 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced new standardized mental health parity reporting templates for state Medicaid programs and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). The templates are designed to help states and their contracted managed care plans document compliance with federal requirements that mental health and substance use disorder coverage be comparable to medical and surgical coverage. Use of the templates is currently voluntary, but CMS encourages states and managed care plans to begin using them in preparation for their expected future adoption as a requirement.

The templates share a common structure intended . . .