Federal law mandates insurers treat mental health services like they would physical health care. But the sponsors of a new bill in the Ohio Legislature say that’s not happening.
Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said insurance companies are finding ways to get around the federal law that mandates they cover mental and behavioral health and physical health equally.
“We’ve got a large number of individuals who are being forced to go out of network instead of in network for behavioral health services or they are paying a lot more out of pocket.”
Russo said Ohio and other states that lack a statewide law find insurance companies are able to evade the federal law more easily. The bill would require insurers follow the federal law and has bipartisan support. And earlier this year, Gov. Mike DeWine cited mental and behavioral health parity as a key part of tackling Ohio’s opioid crisis.
