Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota are the first two insurers to earn URAC’s Mental Health/Substance Use Disorder Parity Accreditation.
The certification is the only program of its kind in the U.S., according to a May 28 news release. It is designed to demonstrate compliance with federal mental health parity regulations and to help health plans go beyond minimum compliance, Shawn Griffin, MD, president and CEO of URAC, said in the release.
“There is still significant variation in how parity is interpreted and enforced. This accreditation brings structure, clarity and national consistency,” Dr. Griffin said.
URAC operates several health plan accreditation programs.
