On September 9, 2024, the US Departments of Health and Human Services , Labor, and the Treasury finalized a rule related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. This rule introduces significant updates to mental health and substance use disorder benefits, ensuring parity with medical and surgical benefits. Key changes include enhanced protections against restrictive treatment limitations, clarified definitions, and new data evaluation requirements. These updates, effective from January 2025, are crucial for hospitals, health systems, and managed care providers.
HHS, Labor, and Treasury Finalize Mental Health Parity Rule
By Katie Waldo, Rachel Stauffer, Erica Stocker, Jeffrey Davis, Leigh Feldman, Julia Grabo and Maddie News on September 26, 2024
Tags: data evaluation requirements, health systems, hospitals, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, managed care providers, Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, MHPAEA, restrictive treatment limitations, US Department of Health and Human Services, US Department of Labor, US Department of Treasury
Katie Waldo
Katie is an experienced government relations strategist who helps clients navigate the complex issues surrounding Medicare, Medicaid and the healthcare marketplace. Katie works with clients to represent their needs before the US Congress and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its agencies by relying on extensive experience as a policy advisor on the Medicaid and Medicare programs, as well as the 340B program and other aspects of the Public Health Service Act. She anticipates the effects of state and federal policymaking on issues impacting their businesses and crafts proactive and comprehensive legislative strategies.Read Katie Waldo's full bio.
Rachel Stauffer
Rachel is a highly experienced government relations and legislative affairs strategist and advocate who is informed by a solid foundation of health policy knowledge. Prior to joining McDermottPlus, Rachel served as the director of policy and government relations for a health IT contractor, where she developed the company’s first strategic plan for government relations. She grew the company’s profile on Capitol Hill by establishing new relationships with key leaders in the federal, state and military health program space. As a result, the company became an authoritative source on a variety of legislative approaches, especially related to veterans’ health. Read Rachel Stauffer's full bio.
Erica Stocker
Erica Stocker is a skilled policy and advocacy professional who has more than 20 years of experience in Washington, DC — including nearly 10 years working on Capitol Hill in health policy and office leadership roles, and more than a decade as a government relations professional and registered lobbyist. Read Erica Stocker's full bio.
Jeffrey Davis
Jeffrey is a skilled healthcare executive with substantial knowledge of regulatory advocacy and healthcare policies. Jeffrey’s work focuses on issues tied to provider payment and reimbursement as well as quality reporting. He also has significant experience with recent regulatory developments such as the implementation of surprise billing rules. Read Jeffrey Davis's full bio.
Leigh Feldman
Leigh offers clients nuanced health policy and legislative affairs insights informed by more than a decade of experience at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and on Capitol Hill. A skilled legislative and regulatory strategist, Leigh helps clients evaluate health policy proposals and anticipate policy changes. Read Leigh Feldman's full bio.
Julia Grabo
Julia produces comprehensive research and analysis of key federal healthcare policy developments and legislative initiatives. She assists clients with real-time monitoring and analysis of fast-breaking legislative, policy and regulatory developments in Washington, DC. She also coordinates coalition and client collaborations to achieve advocacy and policy goals. Read Julia Grabo's full bio.
Maddie News
Maddie delivers comprehensive research and analysis of key federal healthcare legislative and regulatory developments. She assists clients with real-time tracking and analysis of health care policy initiatives in Washington, DC, and helps clients achieve advocacy and policy goals. Read Maddie News's full bio.
Katie is an experienced government relations strategist who helps clients navigate the complex issues surrounding Medicare, Medicaid and the healthcare marketplace. Katie works with clients to represent their needs before the US Congress and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its agencies by relying on extensive experience as a policy advisor on the Medicaid and Medicare programs, as well as the 340B program and other aspects of the Public Health Service Act. She anticipates the effects of state and federal policymaking on issues impacting their businesses and crafts proactive and comprehensive legislative strategies.Read Katie Waldo's full bio.
Rachel Stauffer
Rachel is a highly experienced government relations and legislative affairs strategist and advocate who is informed by a solid foundation of health policy knowledge. Prior to joining McDermottPlus, Rachel served as the director of policy and government relations for a health IT contractor, where she developed the company’s first strategic plan for government relations. She grew the company’s profile on Capitol Hill by establishing new relationships with key leaders in the federal, state and military health program space. As a result, the company became an authoritative source on a variety of legislative approaches, especially related to veterans’ health. Read Rachel Stauffer's full bio.
Erica Stocker
Erica Stocker is a skilled policy and advocacy professional who has more than 20 years of experience in Washington, DC — including nearly 10 years working on Capitol Hill in health policy and office leadership roles, and more than a decade as a government relations professional and registered lobbyist. Read Erica Stocker's full bio.
Jeffrey Davis
Jeffrey is a skilled healthcare executive with substantial knowledge of regulatory advocacy and healthcare policies. Jeffrey’s work focuses on issues tied to provider payment and reimbursement as well as quality reporting. He also has significant experience with recent regulatory developments such as the implementation of surprise billing rules. Read Jeffrey Davis's full bio.
Leigh Feldman
Leigh offers clients nuanced health policy and legislative affairs insights informed by more than a decade of experience at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and on Capitol Hill. A skilled legislative and regulatory strategist, Leigh helps clients evaluate health policy proposals and anticipate policy changes. Read Leigh Feldman's full bio.
Julia Grabo
Julia produces comprehensive research and analysis of key federal healthcare policy developments and legislative initiatives. She assists clients with real-time monitoring and analysis of fast-breaking legislative, policy and regulatory developments in Washington, DC. She also coordinates coalition and client collaborations to achieve advocacy and policy goals. Read Julia Grabo's full bio.
Maddie News
Maddie delivers comprehensive research and analysis of key federal healthcare legislative and regulatory developments. She assists clients with real-time tracking and analysis of health care policy initiatives in Washington, DC, and helps clients achieve advocacy and policy goals. Read Maddie News's full bio.
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