DOL makes therapy reimbursement methods a parity enforcement priority

The Labor Department's benefits enforcement arm named three parity priorities: blanket exclusions aimed at mental health benefits, medical necessity reviews as prior authorization and concurrent review, and network adequacy including provider pay. It will not enforce the portions of the 2024 final rule that go beyond the 2013 rule, but the comparative-analysis duties Congress added in 2021 remain in force, per Spencer Fane's analysis (https://www.spencerfane.com/insight/guiding-principles-for-nqtl-enforcement/). RamaOnHealthcare (https://ramaonhealthcare.com/trump-administration-takes-on-mental-health-parity/#content) reports the guidance starts a process expected to produce a proposed regulation by the end of 2026.