NCAAS has secured language in the U.S. House Appropriations Committee Fiscal Year 2020 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill that addresses violations of Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) in the context of autism treatment. Importantly, the language explicitly identifies parent/caregiver participation requirements, preauthorization processes, location of services exclusions, and fail-first policies as examples of MHPAEA violations. Additionally, it directs CMS to ensure compliance with MHPAEA and highlights the important role health plans and insurers can play by training their personnel about this important law in the context of access to medically necessary autism treatment.
NCAAS members lobbied Congress in February to include today’s report language to protect access to autism treatment by enforcing the federal Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act.
Many thanks to the members of the House Appropriations Committee and all of the NCAAS members for their tireless efforts to promote awareness of MHPAEA and its importance to the autism community.