Carter Center Rallies Lawmakers, Advocates for Mental Health Parity Enforcement

The Carter Center hosted its third annual Mental Health Parity Day on Feb. 3
at Central Presbyterian Church near the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta.

The free public event brought together mental health stakeholders, legislators, and state agency leaders to discuss advancing implementation of the bipartisan Georgia Mental Health Parity Act of 2022. The law requires insurers to cover mental health care and substance use disorders on equal footing with physical health care.

During the event, the Center outlined plans to engage business leaders to help
ensure employer-sponsored health plans comply with parity standards.

Among the highlights, Georgians for a Healthy Future unveiled a new public tool
to track parity violations. Advocates called for stronger financial penalties against insurers found in noncompliance, arguing that current fines were insufficient to drive meaningful change. Twenty-two private health insurance companies have been fined a combined $25 million since the law took effect in 2023.