Grassroots Action Center
Please ask your legislators to support the "Mental Health Matters Act." This legislation would hold employer-based health plans more accountable for improper denials of mental health and substance use benefits. The legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor more authority to enforce plan requirements under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and Employee Retirement Income Security Act, ban forced arbitration agreements when plans improperly deny benefits, and ensure a fair standard of review by the courts.
The bill also would provide grants to develop, recruit and retain school-based mental health professionals – including mental health counselors – and link schools with local mental health systems, among other provisions. The legislation also establishes a grant program to bolster access for students to evidence-based trauma support and mental health services through projects that connect schools and local education agencies with trauma-informed assistance and mental health systems.
Please share any response you receive from your congressional offices with govtaffairs@nbcc.org.
The NBCC Government Affairs Team
