Governor Bill Lee Designates May as Mental Health Awareness Month in Tennessee

Mental Health Awareness Month: Understanding Your Insurance Rights in Tennessee

Governor Bill Lee has officially designated May as Mental Health Awareness Month across Tennessee. In honor of this declaration, state agencies are emphasizing that emotional and psychological well-being is just as critical as physical health.

Ensuring Equal Coverage

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services are working together to remind residents that federal law protects their access to care. Under legislation passed in 2008, health insurance providers are generally required to provide mental health parity.

This means that if a plan offers mental health benefits, those benefits must be comparable to the physical health coverage provided. This equality applies to several financial and logistical aspects of your plan:

• Copays: If your insurance requires a $30 copay for a standard doctor’s visit, the copay for mental health services must be $30 or less.

• Deductibles: Financial requirements for mental health services cannot be more restrictive than those for physical care.

• Benefit Limits: Rules regarding the number of visits or overall limits on care must match across both types of wellness.

How to Get Help

If you believe your insurance provider is not meeting these standards or if you are facing issues securing the coverage you are entitled to, the TDCI is available to assist.

• Submit a Complaint: Tennesseans experiencing coverage issues or disputes can file a formal complaint directly through the state’s dedicated portal.

By raising awareness of these rights, state officials hope to ensure that every “Volunteer” has the resources needed to maintain their total well-being.