AFSP Applauds New Parity Rule Enforcing Parity in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Coverage

WASHINGTON (September 10, 2024) – The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the nation’s leading suicide prevention organization dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, commends the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for finalizing new rules to strengthen mental health parity enforcement. 

This new rule will help the federal government fully enforce the bipartisan Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), which requires insurance providers to cover mental health care and substance use treatment at parity with services for physical health. By promoting full compliance, this rule will both lower costs for patients and help support mental health care providers.  

“Upwards of 90% of individuals who ultimately die by suicide were living with a diagnosable mental health condition at the time of their death, although these conditions often go undiagnosed or untreated. This rule represents a landmark step towards ensuring that all people have affordable access to mental health and substance use treatment,” said AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. “The publication of the rule, during National Suicide Prevention Month (NSPM), is a timely reminder that preventing suicide begins with preventing barriers to care.” 

AFSP provided comments during the proposed rulemaking emphasizing the importance of strengthening enforcement and more than 700 Volunteer Advocates submitted their own stories about the importance of parity and the challenges they face in getting access to mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. We are pleased that the new rules require health insurance companies to demonstrate with data that people seeking MH/SUD care have the same access to in-network services and strengthen the accountability tools available to oversight agencies. 

This rule is particularly important for individuals living with substance use disorder. According to the CDC, 21% of people who die by suicide have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.1% or higher. This rule will help improve insurance coverage of substance use disorder, helping individuals afford treatment. 

We commend the Biden administration for taking this important step to ensure greater equity and help prevent suicide. 

To learn more about our policy priorities please visit https://afsp.org/public-policy-priorities/. 

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The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a public policy office in Washington, DC, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states including Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.  

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