CHDI submits testimony in support of strengthening behavioral health parity enforcement in Connecticut
Public Hearing on S.B.10: An Act Concerning Health Insurance and Patient Protection
CHDI's President and CEO Jeff Vanderploeg, PhD submitted written testimony to the Insurance & Real Estate Committee ahead of its March 6th hearing in support of S.B. 10, which would strengthen enforcement of behavioral health parity laws in Connecticut.
Behavioral health parity means that health insurance plans must cover treatment for mental health and substance use disorder conditions on par with their coverage of other health conditions. For example, if an insurance plan covers fifty physical therapy visits per year, it should cover the same number of behavioral health therapy sessions. While parity is required under federal law, enforcement can be complex. As a result, many families still report barriers to behavioral health care coverage.
In his testimony, Dr. Vanderploeg shared feedback collected from providers and families as part of the Strategic Plan to Strengthen the Behavioral Health Workforce for Children, Youth, and Families, published by CHDI in 2023. He noted that "in survey responses and focus groups, providers regularly voiced frustration with insurance companies denying claims or requiring inordinate amounts of documentation before paying claims."
Families also expressed frustration, he said, sometimes waiting weeks or months to find providers in their area who would accept their insurance as they tried to manage their children's behavioral health challenges on their own.
"If Connecticut fails to strengthen parity enforcement and transparency, families will continue to face higher costs, longer waitlists, and worsening outcomes."
Based on this feedback and research on parity noncompliance, CHDI's strategic plan recommended improving enforcement of existing behavioral health parity laws as a key strategy to increase the number of behavioral health providers who accept insurance - and make care more accessible.
Read Jeff's submitted testimony
Learn more about behavioral health parity:
"Legislators try again to pass law on mental health parity." Connecticut Mirror, 2/18/25
Read the CT Office of Health Strategy Study on Behavioral Health Parity (2024)
Learn more about behavioral health parity from The Commonwealth Fund