By Kristina Saffran I was born into a loving family and had a happy childhood. I was also born into a family with an extensive history of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, and depression. When I was 10 years old, my babysitter went on a diet. I decided to try it too, and a few months … Continued

While the stigma around mental health is finally easing in popular culture, mental health care and insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment is under attack from almost all directions. Politico reported in January that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) is working toward introducing a plan that ushers block grants … Continued

A National Drug Control Strategy report was released last week by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The report is supposed to serve as a blueprint for efforts and policies aimed at addressing “illicit drug use, manufacturing and tracking, drug-related crime and violence, and health consequences.” Unfortunately, after being nearly a year late, … Continued

By Jessica Grillo, J.D., Legal Advisor for the Kennedy Forum On November 5, 2018, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department issued a Market Conduct report on Aetna’s subsidiaries, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Inc., PA Corp., Health America, Inc., Health Assurance PA, Inc., and Aetna Life Insurance Company. The Market Conduct exam covered the timeframe of … Continued

This year, the need for equal access to mental health and addiction treatment reached a boiling point, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released findings that life expectancy has dropped yet again due to rising rates of overdoses and suicides. While there has been much progress advancing awareness and enforcement of the Federal Parity Law, which … Continued

State departments of insurance and Medicaid agencies too often do little to help people find the mental health and addiction treatment they need or to investigate insurers and Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) when they deny care. Rather, individuals and their families are frequently left to fend for themselves, with little help from the regulators … Continued

By Jessica Grillo, J.D., Legal Advisor for The Kennedy Forum In Ariana M. v. Humana Health Plan of Texas, Inc., Ariana M. sued Humana Health Plan of Texas, Inc. alleging that Humana had wrongfully denied benefits for 106 days of partial hospitalization to treat an eating disorder. Humana had paid for 49 days of partial … Continued

The Senate passed a much-needed opioids package last week – on the 10th anniversary of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), which requires most insurers to cover illnesses of the brain, such as depression or addiction, no more restrictively than illnesses of the body, such as diabetes or cancer. Ironically, the package … Continued

This October marks 10 years since the signing of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), also known as the Federal Parity Law, which requires insurers to cover illnesses of the brain, such as depression and addiction, no more restrictively than how they cover illnesses of the body, such as diabetes and cancer. Alarmingly, due … Continued

By Jessica Grillo, J.D., Legal Advisor for The Kennedy Forum On May 26, 2016, a class action lawsuit was filed against California Physicians’ Service (d/b/a Blue Shield of California), Human Affairs International of California, and Magellan Health Services of California, Inc. – Employer Services for the implementation and use of improper medical necessity criteria in … Continued