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Parity in Health Insurance

News Release

Nearly All Telehealth Appointments at Clinics for Lower-Income Americans Were Audio-Only, Raising Questions About Quality and Equity

Telehealth use has surged during the pandemic at clinics that serve lower-income Americans, which allowed the clinics to maintain access to care. But most visits have been audio-only, which may pose challenges if payers consider dropping reimbursement for such services after the pandemic.

Feb 2, 2021
Dissertation

Increasing Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders: Estimating Costs, Supply, and the Effects of Insurance Expansions

This dissertation measures access to buprenorphine, the fastest growing form of medication-assisted treatment, and the effects of demand side interventions aiming to tackle the opioid problem in America.

Aug 14, 2018
Report

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Alternative Tax Subsidization Approaches for Health Insurance

This report reviews the features of tax-based approaches to subsidizing health insurance, including tax credits and tax deductions, and summarizes their associated benefits and drawbacks.

Jul 13, 2017
News Release

Knowledge About Health Insurance and Finance Linked to Higher Rates of Health Coverage

Policies and programs aiming to reduce the numbers of uninsured should take into account the financial literacy and health insurance knowledge of the groups they are trying to reach.

Nov 17, 2016
Journal Article

Comparing Employer-Sponsored and Federal Exchange Plans: Wide Variations in Cost Sharing for Prescription Drugs

Our primary objective was to examine the variability in drug coverage in the exchanges across plan types (health maintenance organization or preferred provider organization) and metal tiers (bronze, silver, gold, and platinum).

Mar 9, 2015
Commentary

Who Does the Affordable Care Act Leave Behind?

Although one of the primary objectives of the ACA is to achieve near-universal health insurance coverage, the Congressional Budget Office projects that 30 million residents, more than 10 percent of the nonelderly population, will remain uninsured after the major provisions of the ACA take full effect.

Mar 7, 2014
Journal Article

Momentary Effects of Exposure to Prosmoking Media on College Students' Future Smoking Risk

This study used ecological momentary assessment to examine acute changes in college students' future smoking risk as a function of their exposure to prosmoking media (e.g., smoking in movies, paid advertising, point-of-sale displays).

Feb 1, 2012
Journal Article

What Oregon's Parity Law Can Tell Us About the Federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and Spending on Substance Abuse Treatment Services

Oregon's experience suggests that behavioral health insurance parity that places restrictions on how plans manage the benefit may lead to increases in expenditures for alcohol treatment services but is unlikely to lead to increases in spending for other drug abuse treatment services.

Feb 1, 2012
Commentary

How Will the Effects of the Affordable Care Act Be Monitored?

Most will agree with the undeniable fact that a new era in US medicine and US health care begins in less than two years. The key question is what potential measures should be monitored to determine both anticipated and unanticipated effects of the new law on the health of the US population, writes Robert H. Brook.

Jan 4, 2012
Commentary

Ensuring the ACA Helps Reduce Disparities—Not Exacerbate Them

Evidence from past efforts in the U.S. and abroad suggests that the full potential of health reform will not be realized without specific efforts to reduce disparities, write Robin M. Weinick, Malcom V. Williams, and Romana Hasnain-Wynia.

Oct 14, 2011
Journal Article

Behavioral Health Insurance Parity: Does Oregon's Experience Presage the National Experience with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act?

Analysis of Oregon's state parity law suggests that behavioral health insurance parity rules restricting how plans manage mental health and substance abuse services can improve insurance protections without substantial increases in total costs.

Jan 1, 2011
Journal Article

Hospital Price Transparency Laws in California Fall Short

Uninsured patients in California are unable to successfully obtain information about the cost of medical care at hospitals despite recent state legislation intended to improve price transparency.

Feb 1, 2010
Journal Article

Improving Disaster Mental Health Care in Schools: a Community-Partnered Approach

After events like Hurricane Katrina, school-based counselors need resources to help students with the traumatic experience as well as pre-existing mental health conditions; centralized information to identify services; and support for self-care.

Dec 1, 2009
Journal Article

A Social Marketing Approach to Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in VHA QUERI: The TIDES Depression Collaborative Care Model

This study found that social marketing, which applies marketing techniques to promote behavioral change, is a promising approach for promoting implementation of evidence-based interventions in integrated healthcare systems.

Sep 28, 2009
Journal Article

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Insurance Parity for Federal Employees: How Did Health Plans Respond?

The intent of parity regulation is to equalize private insurance coverage for mental and physical illness (an equity concern) and to eliminate wasteful forms of competition due to adverse selection (an efficiency concern). In 2001, a presidential directive requiring comprehensive parity was implemented in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. In this study, the authors examine how health plans responded to the parity directive.

Dec 4, 2007
Journal Article

The Effects of Health Sector Market Factors and Vulnerable Group Membership on Access to Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Care

Uses Andersen's Behavioral Model to see if health sector market conditions affect vulnerable subgroups' use of ADM differently than general population

Jun 1, 2007
Research Brief

Behavioral Health Parity: Consequences for Federal Employee Health Plans

This research brief assesses the effects of the government-required Federal Employees Health Benefits Program's provision of behavioral health benefits equal to its general health benefits on insurers and consumers' use of services and spending.

Apr 17, 2007
Journal Article

Impact of Full Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity for Children in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program

The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program implemented full mental health and substance abuse parity in January 2001.

Feb 1, 2007
Report

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity: A Case Study of Ohio's State Employee Program

The Ohio state case study demonstrates that 'parity' -- equal benefits for drug abuse and mental health (ADM) and medical care -- level benefits for ADM care are affordable under managed care.

Jan 1, 1999
Journal Article

Who Joins a PPO?

Assessed that degree to which employees favor preferred providers and whether the PPO participants are a narrow, specialized segment.

Jan 1, 1987