The Kennedy Forum

Calling all parity advocates! Join us next Thursday for the kick-off of the State Parity Workgroup. TKF will lead these monthly calls with state-level advocates discussing parity developments, issues, and implementation next steps. In the first meeting, you'll hear our analysis of the new parity rule, our plan and tools for state implementation assistance. Join us virtually on Sept. 19 at 1pm ET. Register for the meeting here: https://lnkd.in/eDjpw6Cd

“Millions of Americans are paying billions of dollars out-of-pocket when they already have health insurance.” Our Co-Founder Patrick J. Kennedy explained on NBC News what the new parity rule means for Americans. The improvements to the parity rule, which The Kennedy Forum is proud to have advocated for, provide a framework requiring insurance companies to more accurately report consumer costs, reimbursement rates and prior authorization data. “It puts the onus on the payers to justify whether they are making a meaningful difference in access and care for people, because they now have to measure it.” Watch the segment below: https://lnkd.in/eKmXRZfu

Our Chief Policy Officer Nathaniel Counts went through 500+ pages of the new parity rule and pulled out key elements that create a powerful path forward for further parity implementation. Read our analysis: https://bit.ly/3XnKtNb on how it defines terms, promotes transparency and enforces compliance. For all updates about the new parity rule, bookmark this page: https://bit.ly/4e0afy2

Are you one of the tens of millions of Americans who sought treatment for mental health care? Were you denied a service, treatment, or medication? The new parity rule clarifies that you have the right to know more. The major impact of the new Parity rule that the Biden-Harris administration announced yesterday is that health insurance companies will be required to more meaningfully assess their Parity compliance and report it to regulators and impacted consumers. “This is an opportunity for consumers to finally have a seat at the table,” our co-founder Patrick J. Kennedy told ProPublica. Read more about the impacts here: https://lnkd.in/er2K9_3i

Are you one of the tens of millions of Americans who sought treatment for mental health care? Were you denied a service, treatment, or medication? The new parity rule clarifies that you have the right to know more. The major impact of the new Parity rule that the Biden-Harris administration announced yesterday is that health insurance companies will be required to more meaningfully assess their Parity compliance and report it to regulators and impacted consumers. “This is an opportunity for consumers to finally have a seat at the table,” our co-founder Patrick J. Kennedy told ProPublica. Read more about the impacts here: https://lnkd.in/er2K9_3i

What an honor to be invited to the announcement about the final parity rule. The Kennedy Forum was represented by Co-Founder Patrick J. Kennedy and President & CEO Rebecca O. Bagley, pictured here with the U.S. Department of Labor staff, including Assistant Secretary Lisa M. Gomez. Kennedy and Bagley were on-hand to bring back next steps on the work to come, as both leaders celebrated this momentous marker reflecting more than 10+ years of TKF parity work. To get involved with The Kennedy Forum’s parity work: - Join the state parity working group: https://lnkd.in/eDjpw6Cd and - Sign up to receive the Gold Standard Guide for state regulators that we’ll be producing with advocates: https://lnkd.in/eDx445n4 We’ll have more insights and ways to take action in the days ahead.

Mental health and addiction parity – also known as the Federal Parity law - supports tens of millions of Americans who seek help each year, strengthening our families, communities, workforce, and economy. MANY THANKS to Biden-Harris Administration for their enforcement of MHPAEA, so that individuals and families can get better access to mental health and substance use disorder care. https://lnkd.in/egNsJxcN The Kennedy Forum

NEW: The Biden-Harris Administration’s newly issued rule is a huge step in enforcing parity in insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUDs). “Mental health care is health care. But for far too many Americans, critical care and treatments are out of reach.” - President Biden 16 years after passage of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), our Co-Founder Patrick J. Kennedy’s signature legislation, we’re closer than ever to truly achieving coverage parity for mental health and substance use disorders. The Kennedy Forum has fought relentlessly for greater mental health parity and we’re proud to have advocated for these improvements. The new rule implements a straightforward and transparent framework, requiring insurance companies to more accurately report consumer costs, reimbursement rates and prior authorization data. The final rule: - Requires health plans to make changes when they are providing inadequate access to mental health and substance use care - Makes it clear what health plans can and cannot do - Closes existing loopholes Stay tuned for more parity updates — we will be publishing analyses from our experts on what this rule means for the mental health community. Bookmark this page: https://lnkd.in/eRQQFYmE #MentalHealthParity

We're grateful to have Give an Hour join the Alignment for Progress commitment-maker project. Give an Hour provides mental health support to people impacted by human-made trauma. Learn about making a commitment here: https://lnkd.in/ehA3q8bU.

Policy intern Porter Reyes recently had the pleasure of meeting Co-Founder Patrick J. Kennedy at a discussion on Kennedy’s book “Profiles in Mental Health Courage.” "The work we’re doing really matters, both at the personal level and at the systemic level,” Reyes said. “It’s been an incredible learning experience working with such a knowledgeable and hard-working team. TKF staff have been amazing professional mentors, and I feel so grateful to be apart of this lifesaving work.” The Kennedy Forum’s paid interns are valuable members of our team who get hands-on experience in MH/SUD policy, organizational operations, or non-profit communications — and we’re so proud of what they accomplish here and in their future workplaces.