WALLINGFORD – The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) released the following statement in response to the findings of the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS) study on Behavioral Health Insurance Coverage and Payment Parity in HUSKY, Private Insurance and Medicare Advantage final report pursuant to Public ACT 22-47 §§ 57-58. The study highlights continuing issues in parity and limited access to behavioral healthcare tied to low Medicaid reimbursement rates.
“Availability and access to behavioral health services is a chronic issue in Connecticut that we must continue to work together to address. The findings of this study say it loud and clear: Medicaid rates for both behavioral health and medical services are insufficient, and low rates are straining and limiting access to care. The report also suggests continuing issues with behavioral health parity across the board. There is a behavioral health crisis, we see it every day in hospital emergency departments, which are often the only option for people who cannot access care in more appropriate settings. There are important steps we can take to continue to improve access, starting with sufficient Medicaid reimbursement rates for these services to ensure everyone can get the right care in the right setting.”
“Connecticut hospitals continue to advocate for policies that will help caregivers address deficiencies across the system, including establishing Medicaid rate structures for initiatives such as children’s behavioral health urgent care centers, making emergency mobile psychiatric services available statewide during high-demand times, expanding community-based and school-based services to all areas of the state, and implementing Medicaid reimbursement for care coordination initiatives, including but not limited to collaborative care model (COCM) services and community care teams (CCTs).”
