When Discrimination is Deadly: Insurance Parity Violations Risk Lives

By Patrick J. Kennedy

“Your daughter has not failed often enough to get a longer-term treatment center.” That’s what Brian Cada was told when his 14-year-old daughter attempted suicide after being denied residential treatment by her insurance company. Only after a second suicide attempt did she finally gain approval for the appropriate care. And when providers reported that she was experiencing an increase in suicidal ideation during treatment, the insurer responded, “The services asked for are not medically needed.”

Let that sink in.

Sadly, families across the nation face this same predicament every day. Many have to take out second mortgages on their homes or deplete retirement accounts to pay for care out-of-pocket. And what about those who can’t take second mortgages or don’t have large retirement accounts? How are they supposed to manage when a health plan they’ve likely been paying into for years denies coverage for lifesaving care?

Denying treatment coverage for a patient with any other chronic condition — cancer, diabetes, or heart disease — would be unimaginable. But those with mental health and substance use disorders are often left to fend for themselves. Desperate parents spend hours trying to navigate a separate and unequal system of care that often places illegal limits on coverage for treatment services. This is a prime example of potentially deadly discrimination.

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Federal Parity Law), which I sponsored, was intended to end such discrimination. It requires insurers to cover illnesses of the brain, such as depression or addiction, no more restrictively than illnesses of the body, such as diabetes or cancer. Eleven years have passed since the Act was signed into law, yet some insurers continue to deny coverage or limit treatment options for those with mental health or addiction challenges.

That’s why Mental Health for US calls on policymakers to hold insurance companies accountable by enforcing the Federal Parity Law. Suicides and overdoses continue to devastate families across the nation. Parity is more important now than ever before. When people make that critical decision to get help for themselves or their children, nothing should stand in their way.

If you agree, sign our statement of support now and tell policymakers that we demand action!