“I don’t know if it is the mother in me or the New Jersey,” says Lisa Gomez, “but I don’t want to hear ‘It’s too hard. We can’t do this.’ ”
the health plans that cover more than 130 million American workers, retirees and their families. If a plan violates the law requiring insurers to cover mental health treatments as much as physical treatments — the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act — it is Gomez’s problem.It is a tough job. More than half of adults who seek treatment for mental health issues in the United StatesWe want patients, families, providers and employers to understand: You have rights, and we have your back.
If we’re trying to work with plans and they’re not taking action, we name them in this annual report to Congress. We can refer them for litigation, but we don’t have the authority to impose fines. There are efforts in Congress to put more teeth into these laws because we can only go so far.If a plan is offering a benefit they’re not required to, they can change if they give appropriate notice.