Sit and Stay: Run a Successful Mental Health Practice

Why Mental Health Parity Still Isn’t Fixing Access to Care

Nearly two decades after federal mental health parity law passed, why is access to care still so difficult? In this episode, we break down how insurance rules, low reimbursement rates, ghost networks, and weak enforcement continue to limit mental health care access. We also discuss Illinois’ new behavioral health legislation, including a minimum commercial insurance reimbursement floor tied to Medicare rates. 0:00 Introduction 3:00 What is mental health parity law? 7:56 Why do many barriers to care still exist when there are parity laws? 13:46 What are some real-life examples regarding parity laws? 30:36 What else is important to understand about parity laws? 34:24 A word from Rai 35:10 Mental Health Business Moment 44:22 Conclusion

Why Mental Health Providers Should Care About Legislation

This week, we discuss why mental health clinicians should pay attention to legislation, insurance policy, and mental health parity laws. Tom explains how federal and state laws can directly affect access to care, reimbursement, authorization requirements, and a provider’s ability to deliver clinically appropriate treatment. We also cover the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, state-level protections, Medicare’s influence on commercial insurance, and why providers may need to get more involved in advocacy when policies threaten patient care. 0:00 Introduction 2:31 Why should clinicians care about legislation regarding mental health? 7:00 What past example do you have of legislation affecting your care for patients? 16:55 How much does access to care depend on the policies surrounding mental health? 22:44 What should clinicians be paying attention to when a new law or policy is proposed? 27:45 A word from Rai 28:27 Mental Health Business Moment 30:11 Conclusion

Insurance Companies Are Making Mental Health Care Harder on Purpose

We return for part two of our conversation on how insurance barriers affect mental health care. We discuss the fight for single case agreements, ghost networks, delayed approvals, and why these systems can leave patients without the care they need even when the rules are supposedly on their side. This episode also explores how insurers create friction for providers, why continuity of care becomes so hard to protect, and what it looks like when a clinician keeps pushing anyway. 0:00 Introduction 5:29 Frustrating insurance incident 10:17 Single case agreement battle 38:44 A word from Rai 39:28 Mental Health Business Moment 40:31 Conclusion

Insurance Company Tactics Hurting Mental Health Care

Insurance companies keep finding new ways to make mental health care harder to provide and harder to access. In this episode, we break down frustrating new tactics affecting psychiatrists, therapists, and patients, from stricter psychotherapy billing requirements to misleading out-of-network reimbursement practices. We also discuss why these changes matter, how they can push providers away from accepting insurance, and why the fight over mental health coverage is far from over. 0:00 Introduction 5:18 What insurance company-based incident pushed you over the edge? 12:58 Does some fault lie with providers for the broken insurance system? 16:50 What is another example of a frustrating insurance company-based incident? 24:14 Is there a unique trend in mental health where most providers are out-of-network? 32:06 Raiminder 32:53 Conclusion

Starting a Practice With Friends? Ask These Questions First

Tom breaks down the hard conversations friends and partners need to have before starting a mental health practice together. We cover ownership, leadership, profit, long-term goals, and how to handle disputes before they become real problems. If you’re thinking about going into business with someone else, this episode is a strong reality check. 0:00 Introduction 4:43 What are some expectations partners need to align on before opening a practice? 9:38 How can partners in a practice decide who will run the clinic's operations? 12:03 How can disagreements between partners be resolved effectively? 15:43 What are the different roles and titles that partners in a company can assume? 18:18 What happens when one partner starts underperforming on obligations? 23:02 How well should you know someone before partnering with them? 28:03 What are some key points to discuss as partners before starting a practice? 29:20 A word from Rai 30:00 The Mental Health Business Moment Of The Week 33:25 Conclusion