The MHA provided testimony May 7 to the Senate Health Policy Committee on certain challenges related to hospital emergency department boarding for behavioral health patients.
The Senate Health Policy Committee heard about patients facing behavioral health crises and their experiences with emergency department boarding based on insurance status. Lauren LaPine, senior director, legislative & public policy, MHA discussed how the association collected data, starting in 2023, from hospital emergency departments on length of stay for patients with a behavioral health diagnosis. Initial findings within this data showed there were over 150 patients with a behavioral health diagnosis waiting in a hospital emergency department daily. Furthermore, behavioral health-related patients with Medicaid coverage spent longer time in hospital emergency departments than their counterparts with commercial insurance and one of every three patients with Medicaid spent more than 48 hours in a hospital emergency department waiting to be accepted for inpatient hospitalization or discharged.
LaPine explained the process of the pre-admission screening assessment completed by providers for these patients with a behavioral health diagnosis and illustrated for the committee how the process is unnecessarily complicated for those with Medicaid coverage.
Kyle Hoffmaster, director, patient access, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services also provided testimony on the challenges faced by their organization in helping serve behavioral health patients seeking care. He shared how waiting for another provider from the community mental health (CMH) organizations to complete a pre-admission assessment for patients covered by Medicaid can cause significant delays in these patients receiving the care they need. Patients covered through Medicaid are forced to go to a hospital emergency department per guidelines from the CMHs to receive the assessment in that specific setting, causing more unnecessary stress and costs for families and providers alike. Sharing personal experiences from Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services illuminated the need for serious change on this issue. The MHA will continue to educate lawmakers on this challenge and work to expand the assessment responsibility to improve the delivery of care for behavioral health patients in Michigan.
In addition, the Senate Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection Committee took testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 134, sponsored by Sen. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), which repeals the regulatory compliance exemption under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA). If signed into law, this legislation would significantly increase the potential for class-action lawsuits under the MCPA purview against the hospital industry in the state without protecting consumers. The MHA, along with several other businesses and industries stands opposes to this harmful legislation.
Members with additional questions should contact Elizabeth Kutter at the MHA.