---
title: "Psych News Alert: Parity Law Author Condemns Implementation Delay"
description: "Regulatory action needed to implement the federal mental health care parity law has stalled, which has led to \"uncertainty and confusio..."
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/health%20insurance%20policy_71567887-Jun-24-2025-06-06-19-2730-PM.jpg
---

 4/17/12 12:00 AM

# Parity Law Author Condemns Implementation Delay

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

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Regulatory action needed to implement the federal mental health care parity law has stalled, which has led to "uncertainty and confusion for employers over what they must cover and when parity applies," stated the law's frustrated coauthor in an op-ed column in the *Washington Post* on April 13.

Two former U.S. senators—Pete Domenici who coauthored the law along with the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, and Gordon Smith, also a former senator and a strong supporter of the law—wrote that "President Obama voted for the bill as a U.S. senator, and all indications are that he remains supportive. Yet...the final rule that would provide clarity to the millions who have a mental illness or substance-use disorder, and to their employers, has not been issued." Without regulations stating what is covered by the parity mandate, health insurance plans are maintaining "discriminatory barriers to care, such as imposing stricter prior-authorization requirements for mental health and addiction treatment" than they do for other medical illnesses.

Read more about concerns regarding implementation of the parity law in *Psychiatric News* [here](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=115913) and[ here](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=113611).

(image: zimmytws/Shutterstock.com)

[mental health parity](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mental-health-parity), [parity law](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/parity-law)

## Related posts

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[enforcement](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/enforcement), [parity federal parity law](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/parity-federal-parity-law), [inadequate provider networks](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/inadequate-provider-networks), [Mental Health Parity Compliance Act](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mental-health-parity-compliance-act)

## [APA Endorses New Parity Enforcement Legislation, Urges Speedy Passage](https://alert.psychnews.org/2019/06/apa-endorses-new-parity-enforcement.html)

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 6/5/19 12:00 AM

APA has endorsed the Mental Health Parity Compliance Act, a bipartisan bill introduced in the...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2019/06/apa-endorses-new-parity-enforcement.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Kennedy2-Jun-24-2025-10-46-27-2341-PM.gif?height=200&name=Kennedy2-Jun-24-2025-10-46-27-2341-PM.gif) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/11/senate-holds-hearing-on-delay-of-final.html)

[Jeffrey Lieberman](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/jeffrey-lieberman), [Patrick Kennedy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/patrick-kennedy), [Saul Levin](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/saul-levin), [Affordable Care Act](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/affordable-care-act), [American Psychiatric Association](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/american-psychiatric-association), [mental illness](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mental-illness), [parity law](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/parity-law)

## [Senate Holds Hearing on Delay of Final Rule on Parity; Rule Expected Tomorrow](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/11/senate-holds-hearing-on-delay-of-final.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 11/7/13 12:00 AM

The delay in issuing a final rule on the implementation of Mental Health Parity and Addiction...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/11/senate-holds-hearing-on-delay-of-final.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/court%20gavel_135839123-Jun-24-2025-06-33-46-9574-PM.jpg?height=200&name=court%20gavel_135839123-Jun-24-2025-06-33-46-9574-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/05/vermont-court-first-to-rule-in-mental.html)

[parity law](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/parity-law), [James H. Scully](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/james-h-scully), [MHPAEA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mhpaea)

## [Vermont Court First to Rule in Mental Health Parity Law Case](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/05/vermont-court-first-to-rule-in-mental.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 5/2/13 12:00 AM

On April 30 a federal court in Vermont became the first court to interpret the 2008 federal parity...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/05/vermont-court-first-to-rule-in-mental.html)

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