Mental Health & Autism Insurance Project

05/19/2025

Join us in our fight for insurance coverage and shaping mental health policy! Seeking board members.
https://conta.cc/4jtDWK5

Email from Mental Health & Autism Insurance Project May 2025 MHAIP is Seeking New Board Members For the first time in a long time, MHAIP is seeking new board members for our volunteer board. We meet

05/16/2025

See What's Happening at MHAIP!

01/04/2025

Another great article from Pro Publica: we write appeals for clients like this. The power that health insurance has over people is so unfair, and an example of how our mental health system is broken:

Providers, patients and even some federal judges say progress-based insurance denials harm patients at key moments of mental health treatment.

12/18/2024

Great opinion piece from former Cigna exec in NY Times today:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/opinion/health-insurance-united-ceo-shooting.html?smid=fb-nytopinion&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR10G1n09Bbz4wSalNz-d27e6oAGtavtg2s2a-WJmBqF-FeffrZvbuRZQ-o_aem_72qPt3PhJ4D6uQ6PG1Ruow

Shareholders, not patient outcomes, tend to drive decisions at health insurance companies.

12/13/2024

Had the opportunity to inform Annie Waldman at Pro Publica on autism and insurance:

Leaked internal documents show that the insurance giant is culling providers of applied behavior analysis from its network and scrutinizing the medical necessity of therapy. Advocates say the company’s strategy may be illegal.

12/12/2024

Year-End Thoughts and Case Wins
https://conta.cc/4faYu7X

09/29/2024

At The Jennedy Forum Alignment For Progress conference in DC.

09/18/2024

See our recent wins and learn about MHPAEA regulatory updates.
https://conta.cc/3AUUVEu

08/29/2024

Pro publica is doing a series of articles on mental health care and insurance, that has just started to hit. Have a look:

American insurance companies — quietly, and with little government pushback — have assumed an outsize role in mental health care. People in pain are paying the price.

06/05/2024

Click the link to see how we've helped families fight insurance denials!
https://conta.cc/4dKek9V

Check Out Our Recent Wins! June 2024 Working With Employers of Self-Funded Plans If you work for a large company or a union, chances are that your health plan may be self-funded. What this means is t

04/08/2024

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=824687386364684&id=100064702901748&mibextid=cr9u03

Next NCSA Webinar— Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 7-8.15pm ET
What Can Be Covered Through My Health Plan for My Child with Severe Autism?
Karen Fessel, Mental Health & Autism Insurance Project
Dr Karen Fessel is the executive director of the Mental Health & Autism Insurance Project. This talk will provide an overview on services that can be covered through insurance, including crisis hospitalization, residential treatment, physician visits, medications, ABA, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other treatments. We will discuss some of the laws which provide protections to consumers, and what you need to know to help navigate what can be a complex system of benefits. We will also discuss lack of appropriate programs for this special population, and advocacy steps that parents can do to bring about change.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_06Nyusi9RRO3reJvgKh4Hw #/registration

04/07/2024

Great article in the NY Times this AM re price gauging for out of network care by Multiplan in cahoots with the third party administrator, and calling it a "cost savings." We see this frequently. It is anything but cost savings, as it is typically paid by the families of the disabled those with mental illness. Our health system is very broken.

A little-known data firm helps health insurers make more when less of an out-of-network claim gets paid. Patients can be on the hook for the difference.