Employer Group Fires First Shot in Fight Over Mental Health Parity Regs

The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), a benefits trade group for large employers, launched an ad campaign attacking the Biden administration’s mental health parity policies — a notable escalation in plan sponsors’ intensifying opposition to the administration’s approach to mental health care access, which could ultimately lead to litigation.  

In a press release, ERIC said it hopes to influence upcoming mental health parity regulation, noting that “departments of President Biden’s administration, including the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor (DOL) and the Treasury are finalizing proposed rule changes regarding mental health and substance use disorder parity.” The expected rule would be a finalized version of a regulation released in September 2023, which calls for much stricter network adequacy standards than were required in previous parity rulemaking.