Minnesotans with private health insurance are having a tougher time finding treatment for mental health conditions than for physical ailments, says a report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI Minnesota’s Sue Abderholden says the promise of mental health “parity” hasn’t been realized and over one-in-four are forced to seek services out-of-network. She says, “We need to enforce the current law so that families are not having huge out-of-pocket expenses, or that people aren’t able to access the care at all.”
Abderholden says instead of only responding to complaints, the state Commerce Department should be allowed to review insurance plans to make sure coverage for mental health conditions has parity with coverage for physical illness.