{"id":2072171,"date":"2023-10-18T18:14:07","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T22:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/insurers-and-employers-say-bidens-new-mental-health-plan-is-likely-to-backfire-patients-will-pay-more\/"},"modified":"2023-10-18T18:18:33","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T22:18:33","slug":"insurers-and-employers-say-bidens-new-mental-health-plan-is-likely-to-backfire-patients-will-pay-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/insurers-and-employers-say-bidens-new-mental-health-plan-is-likely-to-backfire-patients-will-pay-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Insurers, employers warn Biden&#8217;s mental health plan may hike costs for patients."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Finsurers-and-employers-say-bidens-new-mental-health-plan-is-likely-to-backfire-patients-will-pay-more%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2072171&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Road to Failure: Biden&#8217;s Mental Health \u2062Plan May Hurt Those in Need<\/h2>\n<p>The road to failure is\u200c often paved in the \u200c\u201cgood intentions\u201d\u2064 of politicians \u2014\u2063 especially Democrats \u2014 and some\u200b are now\u2062 warning that President Joe\u2064 Biden\u2019s new\u2062 mental\u2063 health plan\u200d won\u2019t end\u200d up helping those most in need, but may actually \u200breduce their access to needed care.<\/p>\n<p>In July, Biden endorsed plans he claimed\u200c would get health <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/making-dent-liability-fears-driving-providers-drop-gender-affirming-care-kids-even-legal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">insurance<\/a> companies to pay for mental health care\u2064 more often.<\/p>\n<p>The policy changes the administration is \u2062suggesting would affect the 2008 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cms.gov\/marketplace\/private-health-insurance\/mental-health-parity-addiction-equity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act<\/a> (MHPAEA), which originally tried to force insurers to provide\u200c more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-celebrates-anniversary-of-toxic-burn-pits-legislation-in-utah-speech\/\" title=\"Biden marks toxic burn pits legislation anniversary in Utah speech.\">mental health coverage<\/a>, but missed the \u2063mark in many ways.<\/p>\n<p>The MHPAEA aimed to force \u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/beware-new-app-puts-daughter-danger-guise-mental-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">insurers<\/a> to cover mental health treatment at the same level as \u200cphysical health matters.<\/p>\n<p>Serious mental illness can cost a lot\u2062 of cash, sometimes up to $100,000 or more \u200cannually, according\u200c to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/health-shots\/2023\/07\/26\/1190138272\/biden-health-insurance-coverage-mental-health-parity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NPR<\/a>. So,\u200c for many, unless they have \u200dinsurance coverage, they often \u200bhave to go without treatment.<\/p>\n<p>The proposal is \u2062asking for a list of changes to the MHPAEA, one\u2063 of which is to better codify definitions and data \u200bconcerning mental health. \u200dWith definitions varying \u200cwildly, it is \u2064hard to get \u2063insurance companies on board to\u200c cover things if they can\u2019t even identify\u200d what those issues, \u200btreatments, and diagnoses are.<\/p>\n<p>The rules would\u2064 also\u200c impose \u200dnew \u200drequirements for how insurers place limits and \u2062exceptions on \u2064coverage.<\/p>\n<p>It would also close a loophole that\u200b originally exempted state \u2062and local governments from having \u200bto comply with the mandates, allowing states \u2062and local government to continue denying most\u200c mental health coverage.<\/p>\n<p>But according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2023\/10\/18\/mental-health-parity-insurers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Axios<\/a>, insurers \u200band healthcare providers are warning that the new\u2062 rules Biden is proposing\u2064 will have\u2062 serious unintended \u200dconsequences. One <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-in-states-democrats-start-delivering-on-health-care-pledges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">insurance<\/a> trade \u200dgroup is even suggesting that the whole \u2062rules package be scrapped.<\/p>\n<p>The administration\u2019s new rules are being lambasted as \u201cburdensome.\u201d If we \u200dcan use Obamacare as any sort of indication, \u201cburdensome\u201d is probably\u2064 the nicest thing you can say.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 rules are \u201cso burdensome that many \u2063of our members will have no\u200c other choice but to re-think the type and level of their plans\u2019 coverage\u201d of mental health\u200b benefits, said the ERISA Industry Committee in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eric.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/ERIC-Mental-Health-Parity-Proposed-Regs-Final-Comments-10.17.23-as-filed.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oct. \u200c17 letter<\/a> to the Office of Health Plan Standards \u200dand Compliance\u200c Assistance Employee Benefits Security\u200d Administration, according to Axios.<\/p>\n<p>ERIC insisted that the\u2064 proposed rules\u2062 go beyond the \u2063Biden administration\u2019s \u2063legal authority to\u200b place demands on the limits on mental health and substance use treatment. The group also hinted it could sue if the policy becomes adopted.<\/p>\n<p>The trade group \u200cwas not the only one to speak in opposition. America\u2019s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) also blasted the proposal and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahip.org\/documents\/AHIP-Comments_MHPAEA-Proposed-Rule-10.17.23.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">urged<\/a> \u2062the \u2062federal government to\u2062 rescind the whole package and go \u200dback to the drawing board.<\/p>\n<p>Members of the Insurance industry also\u200d defended\u2064 their use of \u201cprior authorization\u201d rules \u2014 which causes patients to\u2063 apply to insurance \u2064companies for authorization ahead of\u2064 treatment \u2014\u2063 saying \u2064that it \u2062is the best way they can ensure that patients are \u200cgetting \u200bthe\u2063 proper treatment based on their history of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-critics-decry-long-distance-counseling-for-migrant-teens\/?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">care<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Blue Cross Blue\u200b Shield Association noted that if \u200bthe prior authorization rule is \u200dscrapped in accordance the Biden\u2019s new rules, it will cause patients to get uneven treatment. \u201cIf this approach is \u200brestricted, patients will pay more for treatment that varies widely in quality,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcbs.com\/press-releases\/proposed-mental-health-parity-rule-could-limit-access-quality-mental-health-care\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blue Cross Blue Shield<\/a> wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The fear \u200binsurance companies have is that doctors\u2063 and health care providers will start throwing \u2064all sorts of treatments at patients without regard to need \u200dor effectiveness if insurance companies are simply expected to cover any sort of treatment at\u200b all without limits.<\/p>\n<p>Still, some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/op-ed-unarmed-mental-health-experts-run-violent-criminals-instead-cops-going-get-ugly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mental health professionals<\/a> support the Biden proposal, Axios added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSimilar metrics already\u2063 in use\u2062 for determining whether mental health treatments are too costly or too\u2063 limited\u2064 in duration have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/insurers-and-employers-say-bidens-new-mental-health-plan-is-likely-to-backfire-patients-will-pay-more\/\" title=\"Insurers, employers warn Biden's <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/calif-gov-newsom-announces-4-7b-mental-health-plan\/\" title=\"Calif. Gov. Newsom announces .7B mental health plan\">mental health plan<\/a> may hike costs for patients.&#8221;>increased <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-ironically-claims-we-ended-cancer-as-we-know-it-during-speech-on-mental-health\/\" title=\"Biden claims 'We ended cancer' in speech on mental health.\">mental health parity<\/a> compliance<\/a>, one advocacy \u200ccoalition wrote to officials,\u201d Axios wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed,\u200b the Mental Health Liaison Group even\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thekennedyforum.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/MHLG-Comments-on-MHPAEA-Proposed-Rule-FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">suggested<\/a> that Biden officials delete some\u200b of the exceptions\u200b for insurers that the new \u200crules \u200cdo include.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2063 all, the new rules are\u200c fixes, upon fixes, upon more\u2064 fixes showing how inefficient\u2062 and \u200billogical government action often\u200b is and how once government gets involved in something,\u2062 it \u200cis a \u200cnever-ending act of tail chasing, rules \u201cupdating\u201d and law rewrites for every problem they missed from the beginning or created in the first place.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h3>A Note from \u2063Our \u200cFounder:<\/h3>\n<p>Silicon Valley and the Big Tech tyrants have done everything\u2063 they can to put The Western Journal out of\u2063 business. \u2064Our\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/join-monthly\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\">faithful subscribers<\/a> have kept us going.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve\u200d never chosen to subscribe, let me be honest: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/join-monthly\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\">We need your help today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I also want to send you an autographed copy\u200c of \u2062\u201cCounterpunch,\u201d which will give you a plan \u2064to fight back for our beloved country.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/join-monthly\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>Subscribe right \u2064now<\/b><\/a>  \u2013 \u200cThe Western Journal stands for truth in this\u2063 difficult time.<\/p>\n<p><b>Please stand \u2063with us by subscribing today.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Floyd\u200b G. Brown<br \/>\nFounder\u2064 of The Western Journal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/insurers-employers-say-bidens-new-mental-health-plan-likely-backfire-patients-will-pay\/\">Insurers and Employers Say Biden&#8217;s New\u200b Mental Health Plan Is Likely\u200b to Backfire: &#8216;Patients Will \u2064Pay\u200b More&#8217;<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2>Surrounding the proposed changes \u2063highlights the need for further\u200c examination and consideration. Here are three questions related\u2063 to the Mental Health Parity \u2064and Addiction Equity Proposed Rule\u200c and Request\u200c for Comments:<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200bYforum.org\/mental-health-parity-and-addiction-equity-proposed-rule-and-request-for-comments\/&#8221; target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; rel=&#8221;noopener&#8221;>expressed support<\/a> for the proposed changes in a letter to the\u2063 Office of \u200cHealth Plan Standards\u2062 and Compliance Assistance Employee\u200c Benefits Security Administration. They argue that the new rules would \u2064help to address the inequalities in mental health coverage and ensure that \u200cindividuals receive the\u200d care \u200cthey\u2064 need.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is important to consider the concerns raised by\u200d insurers and healthcare providers. \u200bThe implementation of these new rules could potentially burden insurance companies, leading to higher costs and limited coverage\u2064 options. This, in turn, may\u200d restrict \u200baccess \u2063to\u200d mental health care for \u200cthose who need\u2063 it the most.<\/p>\n<p>One of the key issues is the burden of additional administrative requirements. Insurers argue that the \u2064proposed changes would require them to revise and expand\u2063 their processes, resulting in increased paperwork and resources.\u2063 This could lead to delays in approvals and a decrease in the\u2062 availability of mental health \u200dservices.<\/p>\n<p>Another concern is the removal of prior\u2063 authorization requirements. While some argue that\u2062 this would\u2063 streamline the process and ensure timely access to care, insurance companies believe that it could lead to overutilization of services. Without the\u200d need for\u2063 prior authorization, healthcare providers may be more inclined to prescribe unnecessary treatments, leading to increased healthcare costs and potentially compromising the\u200c quality \u2062of care.<\/p>\n<p>The skepticism<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The path to failure is often lined with politicians&#8217; &#8220;good intentions,&#8221; particularly Democrats. Concerns arise that President Joe Biden&#8217;s mental health plan may not truly aid the most vulnerable, but instead limit their access to necessary care. Biden supported plans in July, asserting they would be beneficial.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":2072172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2072171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2072171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2072171"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2072171\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2072172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2072171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2072171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2072171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}