Court Rules Physicians Can Stand Up for Their Patients

Mental health parity gained important momentum this month when a U.S. appeals court ruling gave legal power to patients who face unfair scrutiny or rejection of their mental health claims and enabled their physicians to stand up for this vulnerable population in court.The New York State Psychiatric Association (NYSPA) in March 2013 brought a class action lawsuit, representing its members, alleging violation of various state and federal laws, including the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, the New York Parity Act, the New York Prompt Pay Statute and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).The lawsuit claims that United’s practices were “designed to create the illusion of impartiality, fairness and due process while simultaneously undermining access to treatment for the most vulnerable segment of our society.” Read the details of the complaints at AMA Wire®.In respect to the lawsuit, United challenged NYSPA’s legal standing to represent the interests of its members and its members’ patients. A trial court dismissed the suit in October, partly on the grounds that NYSPA lacked this standing.But the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined NYSPA does in fact have standing to represent its members.Read more at AMA Wire.