Horsford Introduces Mental Health Transparency Act to Enhance Access and Empower Consumers in Mental Health Care

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) introduced legislation to enhance transparency and consumer empowerment in mental health care. The Mental Health Transparency Act would improve the way mental health services are navigated and accessed in the United States.

“As America continues to grapple with a mental health crisis, it’s become increasingly clear that mental health care shouldn’t be shrouded in complexity and ambiguity,” said Congressman Horsford. “I’m introducing the Mental Health Transparency Act to ensure that Nevadans and people across the country have the information they need to make informed decisions about their mental health care. My legislation will empower consumers, improve oversight, and promote transparency in mental health services.”

“For too long, we have had mental health parity in name only. We hear every day from the many individuals who continue to struggle to access the mental health care they need and deserve,” said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “NAMI is grateful to Rep. Horsford for introducing the Mental Health Transparency Act, which will help ensure that individuals will be able to access needed mental health care by requiring more transparency on mental health providers in insurance plans. This is an important step to improving parity.”

The Mental Health Transparency Act will ensure that mental health care is accessible, understandable, and effective for everyone. It would:

• Develop new indicators for provider network size: The Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury (the Departments) would develop designations indicating the breadth of provider networks. The Secretary of HHS would gather necessary information from mental health and substance use disorder providers to help inform the development of such in-network participation indicators.
• Empower consumers during plan selection: Private insurers would be required to tell consumers about the number and percentage of in-network mental health and substance use disorder providers covered by a plan in addition to the newly developed in-network participation indicators.
• Enable robust transparency and greater oversight: It would promote greater transparency and oversight related to provider networks by requiring certain information to be made publicly available. Private insurers must make the number and percentage of in-network mental health and substance use disorder providers, as well as the associated indicators, available on a public website. The Departments must provide a list of the relevant mental health and substance use disorder providers by location across the country on a public website, to be updated annually. The Departments must also submit an annual report to Congress regarding the in-network participation of mental health and substance use disorder providers, including data and analysis related to private insurers with low participation rates of in-network providers.