APA Journal Article Looks at Past, Present, and Future of Wit v. UBH Decision

A newly published article in Psychiatric Services in Advance offers readers a comprehensive overview of the recent landmark court decision in Wit et al. v. United Behavioral Health and Alexander et al. v. United Behavioral Health (referred to more broadly as the “Wit decision” or the “Wit v. UBH decision”). In “Holding Insurers Accountable for Parity in Coverage of Mental Health Treatment,” authors Paul Appelbaum and Joseph Parks review past efforts for comprehensive regulation and the challenges in achieving parity that ultimately prompted the Wit v. UBH class action.

“In holding that the largest health insurer in the United States knowingly failed to conform to accepted standards of treatment, the opinion in Wit constitutes a stunning repudiation of the industry,” write Appelbaum and Parks. “Notwithstanding the litigation still to come, the Wit v. UBH decision represents the most successful effort to date to hold insurers accountable for actions that result in unequal coverage for mental and substance abuse disorders. Judge Spero’s ruling could serve as a model for other plaintiffs trying to make the promise of parity a reality.”

Psychiatric Services in Advance is published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Meiram Bendat at Psych-Appeal is co-counsel for the plaintiffs in Wit v. UBH.