The USF Criminal Justice, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Technical Assistance Center (CJMHSA TAC) convened a training in Palm Coast, FL. The purpose of this engagement was to present to local community providers regarding the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), otherwise known as the federal parity law.
Abby Shockley, MPH, CPH, director of the center, was one of the facilitators of the training. Michele Merritt, JD, who serves as the president of New Futures, a New England-Based policy-oriented nonprofit, also facilitated the training.
The training served as a comprehensive primer for participants with the session summarizing various aspects of the law, including examples of ways to measure parity compliance, appeals processes, and identifying red flags in coverage limitations that may require notification to enforcement bodies. Participants gained insights into measuring parity compliance through examples of key indicators, such as analyzing quantitative data on utilization management practices, out-of-pocket costs, and coverage limitations for mental health services compared to medical/surgical services. The training provided participants with tools to identify and address parity violations effectively.