Behavioral Health Parity Gap Persists: 43 States Show Network Access Disparities & Reimbursement Lags Up To 59%

Despite the goals of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Parity Act), across the four largest commercial health insurers—Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare—consumers continue to face greater barriers accessing behavioral health services than physical health care, according to a new Mental Health Parity Index released by The Kennedy Forum.

The findings indicate that, despite the requirements of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, disparities in provider access and reimbursement remain widespread across commercial health plans.

The Parity Act requires health insurers to cover behavioral health benefits with . . .