Everyone in Connecticut has the right to fair access to behavioral health care. If you seek treatment, are denied coverage, or need to file a complaint, the Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate (OBHA) can help.
If you feel that your rights are violated, you aren’t alone. Examples include when your insurance carrier denies necessary care. Or, you may experience delays in treatment. File a complaint with OBHA. We’ll look into your concerns. We work with insurers and providers to resolve problems.
- Equal coverage (parity). Connecticut insurance plans must cover mental health and substance use help. They should treat these services just like other medical care. In other words, your plan can’t set stricter limits on therapy, medication, or treatment than it does for physical health care.
- Insurance denial appeals. If your insurance denies or reduces coverage for treatment, you have the right to appeal. First, you can appeal to your insurance company. You can ask the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) for an outside review if they still say no. OBHA can guide you in this process.
- Emergency and crisis care. If you or a loved one is in crisis, call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or 211 for immediate help. You do not need prior approval to get emergency behavioral health services.
- Timely access to care. The state requires insurance companies to provide reasonable access to behavioral health providers. If you face delays or can’t find an in-network specialist or a hospital bed, OBHA can help you find other options.
Need assistance? Fill out our intake form - it will be here soon - and we will reach out to you.