The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) applauds the White House for their continued commitment to improving access to mental health care. Yesterday, the administration announced a final rule that would lower mental health care costs by improving access for those seeking mental health and substance use care, thus strengthening the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA).President Biden stated, “There is no reason that breaking your arm should be treated differently than having a mental health condition. The steps my administration is taking today will dramatically expand access to mental health care in America.” 

This final rule will do several things, including: 

• require health plans to make changes if they are providing inadequate access to mental health and substance use care. 

• provide guidelines on the necessary steps to enable more access to mental health and substance use care. 

To learn more about this historic final rule, visit the White House website. 

NBCC will provide further updates on this rule in the coming weeks. If you have questions, please contact NBCC by email at govtaffairs@nbcc.org. You can also become involved in NBCC’s advocacy efforts by signing up to become an advocate here.