Statement on Mental Health Parity
May 13, 2025
APA joined with five leading mental health and substance use disorder advocacy organizations to express concerns about actions that may deprive many Americans of much needed mental health and substance use disorder care:
As leading mental health and substance use disorder advocacy organizations, we are incredibly disheartened by the administration’s response to the damaging ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) lawsuit which would deprive Americans of the mental health and substance use disorder care they deserve.
Mental health conditions and substance use disorders are health conditions, affecting one in four Americans. People buy health insurance with the expectation, with the hope, that they will be able to access treatment if and when they need it. And yet, health insurance companies continue to violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, systemically limiting access to this lifesaving care.
Rather than defending the bipartisan non-discrimination law that enables people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders to get equitable health care, the administration has promised to revisit the 2024 parity regulations and not enforce these critical consumer protections. As a result, working people and their families who are paying for health insurance coverage will face steeper challenges to accessing the mental health and substance use disorder care to which they are legally entitled.
The 2024 regulations are necessary for implementing the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, signed by President Trump, and closing loopholes in the enforcement of parity. The Trump administration has renewed the opioid public health emergency and declared May 2025 as National Mental Health Awareness Month. These words must be backed by actions that meaningfully protect access to treatment, not just the interests of insurance companies.
We believe all people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders deserve equitable access to care. We believe in the promise of parity. And we will continue to fight for our family and friends, our neighbors and community members, and all individuals with these conditions. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Trump administration to faithfully and transparently implement the parity law to protect access to mental health and substance use disorder care.
Signatories:
American Psychological Association
Inseparable
Legal Action Center
Mental Health America
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Health Law Program