In rural states such as North Dakota, accessing mental-health care can be extremely difficult. Federal officials say it's even worse when someone's benefits for such care are improperly denied.

They're ramping up enforcement under a law aimed to address the issue.

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, in place since 2008, requires most health plans - offering coverage for behavioral health or substance use disorders - to not make those benefits more restrictive than those for standard medical care.

Lisa Gomez, assistant secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, said their investigations have found that providers are still falling short in providing equal access.

"For example," said Gomez, "there were plans that were excluding coverage for nutritional counseling, if you were seeking that coverage for an eating disorder."

However, the plan in question was not restricting coverage for those seeking that type of counseling for help with a physical health issue such as diabetes.

In fiscal year 2022, Gomez's agency investigated nearly 150 plans and found almost two dozen violations.

An EBSA report suggests correcting these situations is significant because in some cases, hundreds of plan participants were affected by a single provision not in compliance.

Report authors say forcing the provider to make good on the claim can be a life-changer for those struggling with a mental-health issue.

Gomez said for underserved populations, such as rural areas, getting rid of obstacles helps that individual make their situation more manageable.

She added that the last they need is to have to wait for something like a co-pay error to be sorted out.

"We've seen what mental-health conditions and substance-use disorders can do to a person, to a family," said Gomez. "And so, it's really important that we try to use the tools that we have available to us and work together to try to address these issues."

Gomez acknowledged that while there is progress, it isn't moving fast enough to remove these specific coverage hurdles.

Various federal agencies are trying to finalize proposed rules that would strengthen provisions under the law.

Outside of benefits roadblocks, Kaiser Family Foundation data show that in North Dakota, only 19% of mental-health care patients' needs are being met due to provider shortages.




get more stories like this via email

Indiana families are preparing kids for back-to-school season, and mental-health experts say emotional readiness is just as important as school supplies.

Beth Trammell, a psychologist and professor at Indiana University East, said kids often carry anxiety into the new school year. She encouraged parents to help children identify those fears.

"We as parents or caregivers think, 'Don't worry, or don't stress.' Instead, we might want to say, 'OK, well, let's talk about what it is you're worried about. What is the worst thing you think could happen?' If we draw it out of them," she said, "it may give them space to kind of let that out."

Helping kids feel heard can reduce stress. But experts also urge balance, keeping mornings calm, easing into routines, and not overloading schedules the first few weeks.

Nicole Brady, chief medical officer at UnitedHealthcare, said mental-health support should remain a priority throughout the year.

"Though we want our kids to be involved in activities and be social," she said, "we have to watch their academic performance, their mood, those sleep patterns, and making sure that those are staying healthy."

Brady added that parents should talk regularly with kids, model healthy coping and seek help early if warning signs appear.


get more stories like this via email

After a legislative session which opened doors to expand mental health care services across Montana, a state commission said it is considering the Billings area to build the state's second forensic facility.

For people involved in Montana's justice system whom a judge has deemed not mentally fit for their own defense, there are 53 beds in the state's only forensic facility in Galen. The daily waitlist hovers at about 100 people.

Matt Kuntz, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Montana, said it is not meeting the immense need.

"It's just a really bad situation for the people that are in the jails, for the people that are caring for them, for the taxpayers," Kuntz outlined. "It just doesn't work for anybody."

At a recent commission meeting, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Charlie Brereton said the state is identifying a location for a new facility. The department received nearly $27 million from the state in April to fund project planning.

Kuntz noted the Montana Legislature passed many bills this session centered on mental health care.

"We really were able to get big wins in access to outpatient care, access to crisis care and for people in need of forensic hospital," Kuntz explained. "Overall, it was really an amazing legislative session for Montanans with mental health conditions."

Other mental health legislation will boost school-based services, youth in residential care, the state's 988 crisis line and certified community behavioral health clinics.


get more stories like this via email

The California Parent and Youth Helpline is in serious jeopardy after Gov. Gavin Newsom cut it from the new state budget, saying the money was needed to support medical services.

Advocates said they are puzzled because the governor has championed the helpline for years, and lawmakers approved $3 million from a separate fund dedicated to mental health, which does not affect the deficit.

Lisa Pion-Berlin, president and CEO of the nonprofit Parents Anonymous, which runs the helpline, said it is still operating 24/7, for now.

"We're holding on for the next month or so," Pion-Berlin pointed out. "But we need the state to step up, or one of these well-off philanthropists who cares about having that immediate help for emotional support, which is so vital."

Advocates are hoping funding can be restored via a budget trailer bill in the next few weeks. People can call or text and reach the helpline's trained counselors at 877-427-2736. The free helpline has connected with more than 120,000 people since its inception five years ago, and the website CAParentYouthHelpline.org has reached a million more.

Pion-Berlin noted a study in the Journal of Technology in Human Services found a call to the helpline can quickly ease parents' suffering and feelings of isolation.

"The research said that 85% of the callers in less than 30 minutes feel more positive, more hopeful and able to address their issues," Pion-Berlin reported. "There is no other service or pill I know that can do that in 30 minutes or less."

Parents Anonymous also offers free weekly support groups to steer parents and kids through emotional crises of all kinds.