Mental health parity is more than a policy issue. It is a promise that mental health and substance use care should be covered and treated with the same urgency, access, and quality as physical health care. Yet for many individuals and families, that promise remains unfulfilled.
The stories featured in this series were shared with The Kennedy Forum by individuals, families, caregivers, and clinicians who wanted to put a human face on the challenges reflected in our Mental Health Parity Index. While research and data help us understand the scope of parity challenges, personal stories reveal their human impact. These firsthand accounts bring the realities of mental health care access into focus, showing how coverage decisions, administrative barriers, provider shortages, and gaps in care can profoundly affect people’s lives and recovery journeys.
“I have both EAP and MH benefits through UHC (Optum). EAP are 8 visits with no copay and MH has a $35 copay. I went on UHC’s website to look for a therapist. And I also signed up for the EAP site and received an EAP authorization number. I found 10 therapists that I thought could help. I could not make appointments online with any of them. I had to get their numbers and call each one. No one answered. I left messages with all of them and two called me back after a week. Finally made an appt with one of them. After a few sessions she asked for my co-pay. I told her the first eight visits should be covered under EAP. She referred me to her billing department and I sent them the EAP authorization. And then heard nothing. Until I received another bill from her. I contacted UHC and they said EAP and MH were not connected. So, I bounced around for a while. Then EAP told me I needed to provide the authorization code to my therapist. When I said I did but I am still getting bills the UHC rep said could no longer help.
The therapy was fine but the administrative process including finding a therapist is a disaster. And coordination of benefits is nonexistent.“
By sharing your story, you can help elevate lived experiences to educate policymakers, inform the public, and advance meaningful change. We invite you to share your experience and help ensure future conversations about mental health care are grounded in the realities people face every day.
