Everything you need to know about who accredits for mental health equality compliance for health programs
Mental health equality is an ethical priority in health planning. Certification is an excellent way for healthcare leaders to ensure their organizations meet equal standards. Discover who recognizes health plans in mental health balance compliance and the meaning of the process.
What is mental health equality?
The Mental Health Equalization and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) protects people by requiring health programs to provide benefits for mental health and medication use disorders (MH/SUD) that are no more limited than the medical or surgical benefits of the program.
Equalization also applies to financial requirements, including copayments and treatment restrictions. While benefits may vary by plan, equality means ensuring plans use similar procedures to approve physical and mental health.
The U.S. Department of Labor is the leading executive of MHPAEA for private sector, employment-based group health programs. The Department of Health and Human Services manages immediate enforcement mandates for non-federal government programs, such as state and local government-sponsored programs.
Proper care and treatment are critical for more than one in five American adults suffering from mental illness. Even among people with health insurance, issues like insufficient coverage, cost and lack of available providers remain.
Why do health programs require certification of mental health equality compliance?
Certification provides third-party verification of your health plan that complies with MHPAEA standards. It involves a thorough review of policies, procedures and practices to ensure that insurance companies enjoy equal benefits. Accredited organizations can identify gaps that may hinder access to mental health care opportunities, including inadequate networks, failure-first solutions, and arbitrary standards of medical necessity.
Many state and federal agencies may also need or inspire companies with equal certification in mental health. More importantly, it shows the company’s dedication to providing equitable and healthy access. Knowing that their mental health needs are taken seriously, members are more likely to trust an accredited organization.
Who acknowledges mental health equality adherence to health programs?
Urac is the only organization that offers a mental health equality certification program. It is one of the country’s leading nationally recognized organizations, ensuring the implementation and implementation of the highest standards of care. The company advocates equity and inclusion to improve the standards of health care for everyone. Each client receives a loyal CRM manager and accreditor to help them provide personalized attention and advice.
The organization’s MH/SUD Equalization Program offers the following benefits to the stakeholder community:
- Consistent with industry standards: This standard provides companies with a consistent approach to complying with federal MHPAEA requirements. This is especially important because regulations change over time. In 2024, provisions were put forward for previous regulations starting from 2013.
- A reliable roadmap for health plan issuers: URAC's certification program provides a roadmap that helps you establish true parity between medical/surgical and MH/SUD benefits, ensuring quality care from all policy owners.
- Reduce risks: Recognition reduces the likelihood of litigation and regulatory fines.
- Employer Confidence: Many employers value health plans that align with equal mental health. Therefore, buyers can prioritize urine-approved health plans to demonstrate compliance with MH/SUD equality.
- Improved results: A recognized program provides measurable results. Mental health equality compliance ensures that individuals receive adequate treatment, resulting in healthier members and lower health care spending.
Who can apply for URAC's MH/SUD equal certification program?
The responsibility of third-party administrators, health plans and other managed care companies for benefits related to medical, surgical, mental health and medication use disorder treatment may apply to the program.
What is the certification process like?
Here is a step-by-step guide to the certification of equal compliance with the health program for mental health:
- Application Submit
Submit your company's scope of service and corporate governance. You must also include documentation on how your organization complies with URAC standards, which may include policies, procedures, program descriptions, and reports.
- Deadline implementation
URAC will establish a submission deadline to ensure timely certification. You will work with a client relationship manager, who will provide training materials and answer your questions.
- Preliminary review
Your app has experienced desktop comments from the chief reviewer. The Urac team checks your submissions, asks clarification questions and makes sure your documentation proves compliance with Urac standards before conducting a validation review.
- Verification Review
Urac conducts face-to-face or virtual reviews to view other documents, interview people in the organization or visit your facility.
- ruling
Your application will be deprived of identification information and sent to the Certification Commission, which includes volunteer health care representatives from various industries. They will evaluate your document and ultimately grant one of the full, conditional or temporary certification status, or be corrective or deny unauthorized status. The process takes about 30 days to complete.
Obtain Urak's Mental Health Equality Certification
As awareness of mental health continues to grow, the need for health programs will also support equitable care opportunities. Seek Urac certification to provide a program that truly supports the overall well-being of your members.
