When President Joe Biden announced he would no longer seek re-election, he also promised Americans that he would "finish the job" he started when he was inaugurated in January 2021.
Aside from continuing to add more jobs every month, the Biden administration has just announced that it has finalized regulations to provide 175 million Americans with private health insurance access to affordable mental health services.
The 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act already requires insurers and corporate-backed health plans to provide access and payment structures for mental health care services on par with other medical services.
However, less than half of American adults with mental illness were able to access care in 2020, while nearly 70 percent of children couldn't receive treatment at all, according to studies cited by the administration.
It's been a long time coming for the President, who's emphasized over and over that he believes healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.
Proposed last summer, the final rule closes the gaps by requiring health insurers to evaluate which mental health providers' services are covered by their plans, how much providers are paid, and how often they require or deny prior authorizations for coverage.
Patients enrolled in private health plans paid an average of $1,500 per year in out-of-pocket costs for mental health care, double the amount paid by those without mental health conditions, White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden said at a press briefing.
The Department of Labor regulates corporate-sponsored health plans under the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA. "It shouldn't be harder for you to find a provider that can treat your eating disorder than it is to find a provider who can treat your ulcer," said Labor Department Assistant Secretary Lisa Gomez.