Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity | HHS.gov

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity | HHS.gov

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force

Topics on this page: Share Your Experience | About the Task Force | Parity Policy | Get Treatment |Review Summaries

As part of wider Administration efforts to expand access to treatment for people with mental health and substance use disorders, the President signed a Presidential Memorandum in March 2016 creating a Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force. The Task Force will focus key Federal agencies on the work of ensuring that Americans receive the coverage and treatment that they need. Learn more about the Task Force by reading President Obama's announcement and theWhite House blog post.

Sign up for email notifications about the work of the task force.

Share Your Experience with the Task Force

The Task Force wants to hear from patients, families, consumer advocates, health care providers, insurers, and other stakeholders on their experience with mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements.  Share your comments, experiences, and recommendations with the Task Force. Or, submit your comments by sending an email to parity@hhs.gov.

Comments are due on August 31, 2016.

Review Summaries of the Task Force Listening Sessions

Learn more about parity by reading the listening session summaries discussing key topics such as the need to improve awareness and understanding of parity requirements to best practices for monitoring and enforcement.

About the Federal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force

Task Force membership includes:

• The White House Domestic Policy Council
• The Department of the Treasury
• The Department of Defense
• The Department of Justice
• The Department of Labor
• The Department of Health and Human Services
• The Department of Veterans Affairs
• The Office of Personnel Management
• The Office of National Drug Control Policy

The Objectives of the Task Force are to:

• Increase awareness of the protections that mental health and substance use disorder parity provide
• Improve understanding of the requirements of mental health and substance use disorder parity among key audiences including health plans, insurers and state regulators
• Increase transparency around compliance with parity and the support, resources, and tools available to ensure coverage is in compliance with mental health and substance use disorder parity

The Task Force will present its findings and recommendations in a report to the President by October 31, 2016.

Parity Policy and Implementation

Learn more about the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, research on implementation of the Act, and the history of federal parity policies

Mental Health or Substance Use Disorder Treatment

If you or someone you know has a mental health condition or a substance use disorder, there are resources and services available to assist with screening, treatment and recovery:

• SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator:
  Confidential and anonymous source for individuals seeking treatment facilities for substance use disorder, addiction and mental health concerns
• Find a Health Center: Some health centers provide mental health and substance use disorder services. Contact the health center directly to confirm availability of specific services and to make an appointment.