MHIRTF is a national provider-led coalition and an initiative of Build Better Health. It focuses on education, research, legislative advocacy, and policy analysis to confront systemic failures in insurance and payment systems.

MHIRTF advocates for enforcement of mental health parity laws, supports providers navigating denials, clawbacks, and credentialing barriers, and builds collective power to reshape how care is valued and reimbursed. It has involvement across all 50 states.

Mental health parity is the legal requirement that insurance plans cover mental health and substance use disorder benefits at the same level as medical and surgical benefits. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is the primary federal law governing this requirement.

Despite this law, insurers have consistently applied more restrictive standards to mental health coverage through prior authorizations, arbitrary treatment limits, and inadequate reimbursement rates. MHIRTF exists to challenge those conditions directly.

MHIRTF provides providers with complaint templates, grievance guides, and practical tools for navigating insurance denials, clawbacks, and credentialing delays. It also offers monthly national meetings, state roundtables, and subcommittees focused on education, legal advocacy, and innovation in care delivery.

You can attend monthly national MHIRTF meetings, join a subcommittee (Education, Legal, or Innovation), become a state lead or co-lead, or simply help spread the movement. Complete the interest form or visit the Get Involved page to connect with the coalition.