A House bill aimed at increasing access to mental health care in Michigan could come to the House floor for a vote at any time.
Rep. Felicia Brabec, D-Pittsfield, a clinical psychologist, introduced the bill in 2023 to make treatment recommendations for mental health and substance use patients, rather than allowing insurance companies alone to make decisions about an individual’s care. He said it would be a priority.
Brabec noted that this measure would allow insurers to find out-of-network options when in-network options are not available, without imposing additional costs on patients.
“Insurance companies have their own criteria when deciding whether people can receive services or not,” Brabec noted. “I think they should use the same important criteria that we do. If a doctor says, ‘This is what a patient needs,’ I think they should pay attention to that.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has spent more than $75 million on lobbying over the past 20 years. The company said in an emailed statement that it opposes the bill, but that it offers “innovative solutions that address the hurdles Michiganders face to receive the behavioral health care they need and improve their overall health.” We remain committed to working with policymakers to find out.” The company also said it is working to expand crisis response services and hire providers in multiple regions across the state.
Alison Haupt, whose son is on the autism spectrum, said she had a hard time getting her son’s care approved by the insurance company. She added that after her crisis and hospitalization, she received a bill for $147,000.
“They (medical workers) felt he needed to stay there longer,” Haupt said. “The hospital got a call from the insurance company and they said, ‘No, we don’t think you need hospital treatment,’ even though the insurance company didn’t know everything about his actions and things like that. So the insurance company asked for the following: He would be released.”
Haupt said she eventually took out insurance to cover the cost. Supporters of the measure said it would reduce costly emergency room and hospital visits, thereby lowering overall costs of care and allowing people to receive care more efficiently. Other states with similar laws have not seen significant increases in premiums and have seen fewer denials of coverage for mental health care.
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Advocates say Colorado’s legislative leaders are working to make the state a leader in addressing the youth mental health crisis. At least nine bills are pending, ranging from funding existing programs to creating new ways to reach children and youth.
Recent research shows that the need is great and the number of children in need of care is increasing. At the same time, the number of available services is decreasing.
Sandra Fritsch, a psychiatrist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, said it’s encouraging to see policymakers paying attention to the issue, but the need may be greater than they are willing to acknowledge.
“Mental health is bipartisan,” Fritsch asserted. “He has a family and it’s impossible for someone in that family not to be affected in some way. I think that’s one point that a lot of people agree on.”
She pointed out that research shows that only 25% of people living with a diagnosed mental health condition receive the specialized care they need. For children, nearly 65% of Coloradans ages 12 to 17 with depression had not received any care in the previous year.
The Legislature introduced legislation that would make the I Matter program permanent, expand access to mental health first aid for youth, expand access to school-based health care, and build a child behavioral health system. We are working on formulating this.
Fritsch pointed out that technology will be used to provide many services.
“More types of treatment are now available through emerging telehealth systems, from partial hospitalization programs to private work to intensive outpatient programs,” Fritsch outlined. “It is emerging and I hope it develops in a positive direction.”
A recent poll shows an overwhelming majority of voters, and 95% of Colorado parents, believe there is a growing mental health crisis impacting Colorado’s children and youth. Fritsch believes that thinking about mental health care is changing.
“It’s like, ‘Kids don’t vote, they’re not our voters.’ I think that’s changed, and it’s changed dramatically,” Fritsch emphasized. “People are realizing that if we don’t spend time seriously caring for and supporting young people to be as healthy as possible, our population will suffer.”
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The Florida House is expected to follow the Senate’s lead and sign off on an initiative that would pump billions into the state’s health care industry, including significant investments in mental health services.
The Live Healthy bill passed the Senate unanimously in January, but now awaits approval in the House.
The $715 million package is aimed at strengthening the general health workforce and expanding mental health crisis response teams. It also creates a behavioral health teaching hospital program.
Sen. Colleen Barton (R-Lakeland) said she and the Senate president believe there is a need to keep pace with the state’s population growth.
“We needed to do something different because the number of providers, including behavioral mental health providers, is not proportionate,” Barton explained. “We’re competing with every other state, we’re also competing with Texas and other big states for providers, so we need to do more and we’re doing it now. had to be done.”
There has been some pushback regarding the bill’s cost. But proponents argued that the long-term benefits of improved mental health care far outweigh the initial investment. Democrats criticized the bill for not including expanded Medicaid for low-income Floridians.
Mr Barton said he also wanted to provide “deregulation” by maximizing the efficiency of the existing workforce and increasing access to mental health services.
“We’re reducing some of the barriers so that psychologists and psychiatric nurses can quickly get into and work in Baker Act facilities,” Barton said. “This will only allow us to deploy more staff and ensure more Floridians receive the care they so desperately need.”
A bipartisan majority of registered voters nationwide recognize the worsening mental health crisis affecting both adults and children, with 91% recognizing the worsening mental health crisis affecting both adults and children, according to a poll by mental health advocacy group Inseparable. It emphasizes its importance as a legislative priority.
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Mental health experts in Connecticut and the United States are working to prevent suicide among veterans.
According to the study, suicides among veterans increased by 95% nationwide between 2001 and 2020, peaking in 2018. In Connecticut, recent data shows a decline from the previous year.
Experts say social isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic is partly to blame for the nationwide increase.
Dr. Joshua Block, a psychologist with the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, said difficult personal experiences can also take their toll.
“PTSD often leads to feelings of isolation from others and difficulty feeling safe in the world,” Block explained. “As you can imagine, when you feel threatened or in danger, your daily life feels unsafe.”
Block cited psychosocial activities, along with programs at area hospitals, as an important step in helping veterans adjust to life after deployment. The Department of Veterans Affairs offers federal grants available for community-based suicide prevention efforts.
If you are in crisis or have suicidal thoughts, call 988 and press “1” on the Veterans Crisis Line.
Challenges remain in access to care, including a shortage of mental health professionals in many areas and personal and societal attitudes regarding acceptance of this care.
Block acknowledged that there are still misconceptions about the mental health of veterans, especially that there is no hope in their lives.
“What I’ve learned about veterans who experience these challenges and struggles as I’ve worked with them throughout my career is that they are incredibly resilient,” Block said. emphasized. “Many of these veterans have experienced significant recovery from mental illness and are living meaningful and rewarding lives.”
Block noted that peer specialists (veterans who have received treatment) help newcomers understand the importance of receiving help when needed.
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