The Kennedy Forum Offers Resources to Support State Model Legislation When a mental health insurance claim is submitted, there are numerous points at which people may get denied because parity is not strongly enforced – largely due to a lack of streamlined reporting, according to The Kennedy Forum Senior Director of Policy Lauren Finke. “In … Continued

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, brain health emerged as a “top priority” for world leaders, according to Forbes. Though brain health is broadly defined as optimal function of the brain, The Kennedy Forum and West Health led two sessions focused on how brain health can ultimately affect economic and public health outcomes.  At … Continued

The Kennedy Forum Chief Policy Officer Nathaniel Z. Counts, JD co-authored a new study that helps illustrate how government analysts might account for long-term economic benefits of good youth mental health policy.  Key findings: A hypothetical policy of early intervention and integrated care has the potential to:  Counts’ report was published by open-access journal PLOS … Continued

You may have seen that the Biden-Harris administration has announced a new rule enhancing enforcement of the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), co-authored by our co-founder, former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy. That groundbreaking legislation sought to ensure that mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUDs) were equitably covered by health insurance. … Continued

Unfortunately in the American health care system, just because a law is passed requiring that health insurance companies cover a treatment, service, or medication, that doesn’t mean it actually happens. For instance, about 25% of people still pay for birth control even though the Affordable Care Act mandated that insurance companies make it free more … Continued

Restructuring how we value and reimburse providers is critical. Imagine that you’ve been feeling down or hopeless, and decide it’s time for professional help. Except when you start searching, it’s hard to find a therapist who takes your insurance or lives in your area. Besides, how do you know if the person is right for … Continued

We are fresh off the heels of an all-staff meeting in D.C., where we continued work on our strategic plan for 2025. We want to be ready to meet future opportunities — and there are plenty at play. Mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUD) are being taken seriously, culturally and politically, as issues that … Continued

Here’s an interesting fact: Google Trends showed that searches for “Mental Health Awareness Month” have continuously grown over the past 10 years, which means more people are searching for and talking about mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUD) — and every conversation counts. Thank you to everyone who works this month and year-round to … Continued