Georgia officials on both sides of the aisle are proposing legislation aimed at holding insurance companies accountable when they fall short of the long-held promise of mental health parity, which is the idea that insurance coverage for mental health should be on par with coverage for physical health.
The push comes after Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King issued millions in fines for mental health parity law violations in January, and there is growing bipartisan agreement that insurance coverage that exists for mental health on paper is not always honored by insurance companies.
Advocates say the $25 million in fines recently issued by the Georgia Department of Insurance against insurers for 2022 parity law violations are not enough to deter companies from reoffending, but state regulators call the fines just a warning.
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