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Biden Introduces New Rule to Strengthen Mental Health Parity Requirements and Improve Access to Mental Health Care
To help ensure better mental health care access for millions of Americans, President Joe Biden has unveiled a new proposed rule to strengthen mental and physical health parity requirements. The rule seeks to bridge the gap between mental and physical health care benefits, a bipartisan priority for almost 15 years. The Mental Health Parity and […]
The post Biden Introduces New Rule to Strengthen Mental Health Parity Requirements and Improve Access to Mental Health Care first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
To help ensure better mental health care access for millions of Americans, President Joe Biden has unveiled a new proposed rule to strengthen mental and physical health parity requirements.
The rule seeks to bridge the gap between mental and physical health care benefits, a bipartisan priority for almost 15 years.
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) was a landmark law enacted in 2008, calling for equal provision of mental health care benefits by health plans compared to physical health care benefits.
However, despite bipartisan efforts, the White House said many Americans still face challenges in finding and affording the mental health care they need.
According to a Fact Sheet, studies show that less than half of adults with any mental illness received mental health care in 2020, and only a tiny fraction of those with a substance use disorder received treatment.
“A common issue individuals face with private health coverage is the difficulty in finding an in-network mental health provider,” White House officials wrote.
“Many people are forced to seek care out-of-network, leading to significantly higher costs or even deferring care altogether.”
The proposed rule highlights that insured individuals are more than twice as likely to go out-of-network for mental health care than for physical health care.
In response to these challenges, the White House said Biden’s comprehensive national strategy aims to transform how mental health is understood, accessed, and treated across healthcare settings.
The 150 million Americans with private health insurance will have better access to mental health benefits thanks to the newly proposed rule, which builds on MHPAEA’s objectives.
The key provisions of the proposed rule include:
- Requiring Health Plans to Provide Adequate Access: Health plans will be required to conduct meaningful comparative analyses to ensure that mental health and substance use benefits are not more restrictive than medical benefits. This includes evaluating provider networks, out-of-network payment rates, and prior authorization requirements. Plans failing to meet these requirements will have to improve access to mental health care to comply with the law.
- Setting Clear Guidelines for Health Plans: The rule will provide specific examples to make it clear that health plans cannot use restrictive prior authorization or narrower networks for mental health and substance use disorder benefits compared to medical benefits.
- Closing Existing Loopholes: The proposed rule will require non-federal governmental health plans to comply with MHPAEA, closing a previous loophole. Over 200 additional health plans will be impacted, providing crucial protections to 90,000 consumers.
The White House said the administration expects the rule to increase mental health and substance use care utilization and ensure comparable payment for mental health care professionals.
Officials believe this could also serve as an incentive for more people to join the mental health workforce.
According to the White House, the Biden administration has been actively addressing the mental health care crisis through various measures, including expanding access to services in Medicare and enhancing crisis response.
The recent investment of nearly $1 billion in strengthening the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline further demonstrates the commitment to improving mental health care, officials stated.
The post Biden Introduces New Rule to Strengthen Mental Health Parity Requirements and Improve Access to Mental Health Care appeared first on Forward Times.
The post Biden Introduces New Rule to Strengthen Mental Health Parity Requirements and Improve Access to Mental Health Care first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.
Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.
Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”
Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.
“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”
The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.
Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.
President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.
Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.
Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.
Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.
Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.
Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.
Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.
The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.
In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.
The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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