Writing for the New York Times Sunday Review, Andrew Solomon provided this essay for the April 12th edition.
To my surprise, the Times printed no letters in response to Mr. Solomon’s piece. To my frustration, that excluded a submission I offered. I offer it again, herewith.
RE: Andrew Solomon’s When the Pandemic Leaves Us Alone, Anxious and Depressed
Mr. Solomon prudently stresses the unequal treatment of physical and mental health in our society, adding “Insurance does not offer real parity of coverage…”
The federal Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act passed in 2008 was intended to prevent group health plans and health insurance issuers that provide mental health or substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits from imposing less favorable benefit limitations on those benefits than on medical/surgical benefits.
Alas, enforcement has been weak and limited at best. Insurers still continue to dodge, deny, delay and dissemble to avoid compliance. Until the government acts responsibly and seriously to actually enforce the act so that citizens can receive treatment desperately needed, we can only anticipate the psychological tragedies Mr. Solomon fears will become reality.
