How Policy and Advocacy Shape Behavioral Health Care Systems in New York State

• By: Dr. Ann M. Sullivan New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
• July 29th, 2026
• behavioral health policy, crisis services, insurance coverage, Medicaid, mental health care, new york, parity, school-based mental health, Summer 2026 Issue
• 461    0

Over the last several years, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has invested over $2 billion in strengthening all aspects of the state's mental health system. Transforming one of the largest public mental health systems in the country requires strategic vision. This process has been informed by...

Recovery Works When Coverage Does: The Lifesaving Impact of Medicare’s IOP Expansion

• By: Jim Shaheen National Association of Behavioral Health Deborah Steinberg Legal Action Center
• April 9th, 2026
• addiction treatment, health equity, insurance coverage, intensive outpatient programs, Medicare, opioid use disorder, overdose crisis, substance use disorders, Summer 2026 Issue
• 1020    0

Closing a Critical Coverage Gap in Medicare In 2024, following stalwart efforts by Congress, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, providers, advocacy organizations, and directly-impacted communities alike, Medicare closed a gap in its addiction treatment coverage by adding a benefit...

Governor Hochul Announces Details of $1 Billion Plan to Overhaul New York State’s Continuum of Mental Health Care

• By: | New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
• February 13th, 2023
• funding, insurance coverage, mental health, outpatient services, psychiatric treatment, supportive housing
• 4267    0

Transformative Plan to Increase Mental Health Care in New York State, Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment Capacity, Boost Insurance Coverage and Dramatically Expand Outpatient Services Investments will Create Transitional and Supportive Housing to Serve New Yorkers with Mental Illness; Create...

Reducing Access Barriers through Collaborative Care

• By: Eunice Kim, LCSW Virna Little, PsyD, LCSW-r, MBA, CCM, SAP Micaela Mercado, MSW, PhD Concert Health
• October 1st, 2019
• behavioral health access, collaborative care model, insurance coverage, integrated care, mental health workforce, primary care integration, psychiatric consultation, telehealth services
• 2927    0

Poor access to behavioral health services remains a significant barrier to care for clients within our current healthcare landscape in the United States. According to Mental Health America, one out of every five American adults with a mental health condition, or about nine million adults, struggles...

New Mental Health Parity Laws in New York State

• By: Dr. Ann M. Sullivan New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
• July 1st, 2019
• behavioral health access, insurance coverage, insurance discrimination, mental health parity, mental health services, patient advocacy, public policy, substance use disorders
• 3251    0

About one in five New Yorkers require behavioral health services, but many do not receive treatment because of a lack of access to insurance coverage. More than 10 years ago, the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act required large group health plans that provide mental health...

Mental Health Parity and Its Impact on the Behavioral Health Workforce

• By: Rachel A. Fernbach, Esq. New York State Psychiatric Association
• July 1st, 2019
• access to care, behavioral health reimbursement, chronic mental illness, insurance coverage, mental health parity, provider advocacy, substance use treatment, utilization review
• 2618    0

In 2006, New York enacted a parity mandate in the form of Timothy’s Law, which requires group health plans to provide 30 inpatient days and 20 outpatient days for most mental health diagnoses and requires large plans to provide full coverage for certain biologically based illnesses. Several years...

The NYSPA Report: Repeal and Replace Should Not Harm Our Most Vulnerable

• By: Jeffrey Borenstein, MD NY State Psychiatric Association (NYSPA)
• July 1st, 2017
• access to care, healthcare policy, insurance coverage, Medicaid, mental health care, mental health parity, public policy, stigma reduction
• 1522    0

I am honored to serve as editor of the NYSPA Report and I want to begin by thanking my friend and colleague, Dr. Barry Pearlman. Barry has served as editor of this column since its inception and has provided useful and interesting information since day one.I’m proud to have the opportunity to...

Progress and Challenges in Accessing Treatment for People with Autism

• By: Amy Weinstock, MArch, BA Autism Insurance Resource Center, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, UMASS Medical School
• January 1st, 2017
• advocacy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), behavioral health services, families, healthcare policy, insurance coverage, treatment access
• 1644    0

Debora Thivierge, BCaBA, CBAA, attended her son’s high school graduation last spring, and looked on with pride as he started college this fall. This rite of passage was not something doctors who diagnosed her son with autism 16 years ago would have encouraged her to strive for. It’s a sign of...

The NYSPA Parity Enforcement Project: New Tools for Patients and Providers in The Fight Against Parity

• By: Rachel A. Fernbach, Esq. NY State Psychiatric Association (NYSPA)
• October 1st, 2015
• benefit denials, ERISA, health plans, insurance coverage, medical necessity, mental health parity, MHPAEA, utilization review
• 1822    0

The passage of the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) represented a landmark moment for those fighting for parity in behavioral health benefits. In the years since MHPAEA and its implementing regulations went into effect, many of the financial restrictions and...