The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA or Parity Law) promised equity in the insurance coverage of mental health and substance use disorder care, but years later mental health parity is still not a reality and too many Americans continue to be denied care when they need it the most. To fulfill the promise of the Parity law, we must hold health insurance plans accountable to comply with the letter and spirit of the law.

This will require significant leadership from our federal and state governments.

— Patrick J. Kennedy

That is why the Kennedy Forum is working with policymakers and regulators to push for clear regulations and guidance to implement the law in the commercial market and in Medicaid managed care and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The Kennedy Forum is also calling for strong, public enforcement of the law.

Parity also depends in large part on consumers knowing their rights. The Kennedy Forum is committed to educating consumers and health care providers about the Parity law and providing them the tools and resources they need to ask for the treatment and services that are guaranteed under the law and to appeal denials of care when they occur.

Focus Group Participants

Sarika Aggarwal, MD
Fallon Community Health Plan
Sarah E. Burns
Rosenfield Rafik & Sullivan, PC
Mady Chalk
Treatment Research Institute
Gary M. Cohen
Gary M. Cohen Consulting
Jason Cowart
Zuckerman Spaeder LLP
Steve Daviss, MD
M3 Information
Catherine Dodd, PhD, RN
SF Health Service System
Adrienne Ellis
Mental Health Association of Maryland
Joshua Feast
Cogito Corporation
Stephen Fried
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the University of Pennsylvania
Frederic S. Goldstein
Population Health Alliance
Pamela Greenberg
Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness
Garielle de la Gueronniere, JD
Legal Action Center
D. Brian Hufford Zuckerman Spaeder LLP
Zuckerman Spaeder LLP
Roger Kathol, MD
Cartesian Solutions, Inc
Cheri Lattimer
Case Management Association of America
Karla Lopez
Legal Action Center
Randy Madry
Preventing Colorectal Cancer
Clare D. McGorrian
Health Law Advocates
Doug Moeller, MD
McKesson Health Solutions
Thomas Naughton
Maximus
Samantha Olds
IL Association of Medicaid Health Plans
Renee Popovits
Popovits & Robinson, PC Linda Raines National Mental Health Association of Maryland
Howard Rosen
LifeWire
Elyn R. Saks
University of Southern California
Susan Sargent
Sargent Healthcare Management Advisors
Gib Smith
National Association of Independent Review Organizations
Kathryn Trepinski
Law Offices of Kathryn Trepinski
Margaret VanAmringe, MHS
Joint Commission
Abby Woodworth
Treatment Research Institute
Joy Johnson Wilson
National Conference of State Legislatures
Meiram Bendat, JD,PhD
Psych Appeal
Luke Butler
Scattergood Foundation
Tim Clement
Scattergood Foundation
Nathaniel Counts, JD
Mental Health America
Colleen Coyle
American Psychiatric Association
Alice Dembner
Community Catalyst
Adam Easterday
Optum
Mary Jane England, PhD
Boston University
Marcelo Fernandez-Vina, MPH
Scattergood Foundation
Larry Goldman
Value Options
Michael Gomes
BenefitMall
Karen Greenrose
American Association of Providers Provider Organizations
Ron Honberg
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Lisa S. Kantor
Kantor & Kantor, LLP
Lisa Landau
NYS Office of the Attorney General
Bradley Lerner
Value Options
Martin Lustick, MD
Excellus BCBS
Carol McDaid
Capitol Decisions
Beth Ann Middlebrook, JD
The Watershed Addiction
Irvin Muszynski
American Psychiatric Association
Julie O’Brien
Alicare Medical Management
Skyler Place, PhD
Cogito Corporation
Michael D. Reisman
Office of the New York State Attorney General
Stephen Rosenfeld
Rosenfeld Rafik & Sullivan, PC
Paul Samuels
Legal Action Center
Matt Selig
Health Law Advocates
Andrew Sperling
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Marilyn Vadon
American Psychiatric Association
Victoria Veltri, JD, LLM
State of Connecticut
Ellen Weber
University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law