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Can Your Organization Demonstrate Parity Compliance?
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State and federal regulators are increasing scrutiny of how health plans cover mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services.
Many organizations believe they comply.
Fewer can prove it with clear, defensible documentation.
URAC helps health plans assess, document and prove parity compliance through accreditation supported by ParityManager®
A Practical Path to Mental Health Parity Compliance
URAC joins Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota in this FREE Webinar on May 15 for a discussion on how they used URAC’s Mental Health Parity Accreditation to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.
Enforcement Is Increasing. Expectations Are Clear.
Regulators are responding to:
- Member complaints and access issues
- Gaps in behavioral health coverage
- Increased focus on equitable access to care
Regulators expect you to show how your benefits align and prove it with documentation. If your team cannot produce that documentation, your organization is at risk.
Where Plans Fall Short
Parity compliance breaks down in execution. Regulators look for:
Differential application of utilization management rules across MH/SUD and medical-surgical services
- Incomplete or inconsistent NQTL analysis
- Benefit designs that appear aligned but result in unequal access
- Gaps in documentation that explain how policies work in practice
These gaps lead to findings, corrective action and fines.
What Compliance Actually Requires
Parity compliance goes beyond benefit design.
Health plans must:
- Align financial requirements and treatment limitations
- Evaluate both QTLs and NQTLs
- Apply policies consistently
- Document how decisions are made and implemented
This is where most organizations struggle.
Prove Compliance with URAC Accreditation
URAC’s Mental Health Parity Accreditation provides independent validation that your organization meets regulatory expectations.
- Accreditation helps you:
- Align MH/SUD and medical-surgical benefits
- Apply treatment limitations consistently
- Document QTL and NQTL analysis
- Strengthen processes that support ongoing compliance
Show regulators you can demonstrate compliance with parity requirements through clear, defensible documentation.
How ParityManager Works
ParityManager powers the analysis behind accreditation.
With ParityManager, your team can:
- Upload plan data and policies
- Evaluate QTLs and NQTLs in a structured way
- Identify gaps and areas of risk
- Generate documentation for regulatory review
ParityManager gives your team the structure to assess and the evidence to defend.
Tools to Support Your Work
Move from understanding to assessment to proof.
May 15 Webinar: Parity in Practice
Achieving Mental Health Parity in Practice: One Health Plan’s Journey
URAC and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota share how accreditation supports compliance and how teams build a structured approach to parity.
- Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
- Time: 1 PM Eastern
Take the Next Step
Parity compliance requires clear analysis, consistent processes and documented proof. URAC can help you assess your current state, identify gaps and prove compliance with confidence.
Why URAC?
URAC is an independent, nonprofit accreditor with more than 30 years of experience advancing quality, accountability and trust in health care. URAC designs accreditation programs that help organizations meet regulatory expectations and improve access to care.
What Does It Take To Be Accredited
