NASW WI has been made aware that some insurance companies are now charging consumers a large “specialty” copay for mental health services as a result of the mental health parity law. It is our understanding that insurance companies cannot charge a “specialty” copay for mental health services unless a predominant amount of their medical/surgical services are charged a “specialty” copay. Therefore if you or one of your clients are charged a “specialty” copay by an insurance company, please take the following actions:
- File a grievance with the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (www.oci.wi.gov)
- Contact Marc Herstand at the NASW WI office (marcherstand@tds.net) and forward any correspondence you receive from OCI or the insurance company to him.