On July 25 the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services (“tri-agencies”) released guidance related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). Among other documents, the guidance includes a proposed update to the MHPAEA regulations and a report to Congress summarizing the tri-agencies’ enforcement efforts related to group health
Lessons Learned from Wilderness Therapy Cases: How to Draft Medical Plan Exclusions that Comply with Mental Health Parity Rules
“Wilderness therapy? What’s that?”
That’s the common response I receive when I mention that wilderness therapy is a hot topic in mental health parity litigation. Wilderness therapy is a form of residential treatment that uses nature and the outdoors as a therapeutic tool. Often used with operationally-defiant or drug-addicted teens, wilderness therapy combines traditional therapy