Connecticut Insurance Department says its 2026 review found parity concerns in carrier practices and prompted enforcement actions involving five insurers.
State report identifies parity concerns
The Connecticut Insurance Department said its 2026 Nonquantitative Treatment Limitation Annual Report examines whether health insurance carriers comply with state and federal mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements. According to the Department, Connecticut law requires insurers to show that coverage for mental health and substance use disorder services is comparable to coverage for medical and surgical benefits.
The Connecticut Insurance Department said carriers must submit annual data for its review under Connecticut General Statutes § 38a-477ee. The Department said it reviews that information to assess practices including prior authorization, reimbursement methodologies and provider network standards.
How the Department reviews coverage practices
According to the Connecticut Insurance Department, its review compares how carrier practices are designed, how they are applied in operation and how they appear in outcome data across benefit categories. The Department said this process is intended to evaluate whether nonquantitative treatment limitations meet mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements.
The Connecticut Insurance Department said the report identified areas where multiple carriers need improvements to meet parity standards. The Department did not describe the specific changes that each carrier may be required to make in the source extract.
Findings cited in the report
The Connecticut Insurance Department said the report found gaps in documentation supporting how some coverage decisions are made. It also cited differences in behavioral health network access and reimbursement approaches that did not meet comparability standards.
According to the Connecticut Insurance Department, the report also highlighted a need for better use of outcome data. The Department described these issues as findings from its review of carrier practices involving mental health and substance use disorder coverage.
Enforcement actions and next steps
The Connecticut Insurance Department said it has initiated enforcement actions against Aetna, Anthem, ConnectiCare, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare as part of its ongoing market conduct review. According to the Department, those actions were initiated in accordance with Connecticut law.
The Department said it is actively engaging with each of the five carriers to address the concerns identified through the review. The source extract does not state the status or resolution of those enforcement actions.
What this means for Connecticut patients
The Connecticut Insurance Department’s findings concern insurance practices that can affect access to behavioral health coverage. For people looking for treatment locally, this directory lists 75 published clinics in Connecticut.
This is general information, not medical advice.
More Connecticut reporting on access & coverage.
This report is educational and is not medical advice. Coverage, availability and eligibility can change; verify details with the named source or your care team.