Several of the nation's largest health insurance providers have announced expanded mental health coverage in response to updated federal parity guidelines issued last month. United Healthcare, Anthem, and Cigna are among the carriers now covering unlimited teletherapy sessions and removing prior authorization requirements for outpatient mental health visits.
The changes stem from the Mental Health Parity Modernization Act signed into law earlier this year, which closes longstanding loopholes that allowed insurers to impose stricter limits on behavioral health benefits compared to medical and surgical coverage.
Consumer advocates have praised the move but stress that enforcement will be critical to ensuring patients actually receive the expanded benefits promised under the new rules.
