The MHA provided testimony May 21 to the House Oversight Subcommittee on Public Health & Food Security on certain challenges related to behavioral health patients and the need for inpatient psychiatric beds across the state.
The House Oversight Subcommittee on Public Health & Food Security heard about patients facing behavioral health crises and their experiences with emergency department boarding based on insurance status. Taylor Alpert, government relations manager, advocacy, MHA shared data the association began collecting in 2023 on emergency department length of stay for patients with a behavioral health diagnosis. The data revealed more than 155 patients with a behavioral health diagnosis waiting in a hospital emergency department daily. Patients with Medicaid coverage experience longer wait times than those with commercial insurance, with one in three Medicaid patients spending more than 48 hours in the emergency department before being admitted or discharged.
Adam Carlson, senior vice president, advocacy, MHA outlined the process of the current preadmission screening assessment completed by providers for patients with a behavioral health diagnosis and illustrated for the committee how the process is unnecessarily complicated for those with Medicaid coverage. Carlson provided information on how member hospitals in the state are actively trying to expand or undergo capacity improvement projects to address this growing issue, but federal Medicaid threats, staffing gaps and state behavioral health beds per capita remain a challenge.
The MHA has been exploring opportunities to address this issue at the state level and has been working with the legislature on changing the statutory requirements for preadmissions screening timelines. Senate Bill (SB) 316, sponsored by Sen. Roger Hauck (R-Mount Pleasant), enforces a three week timeline for completing a preadmission screening requirement for patients covered by Medicaid and was introduced earlier this week. The MHA will continue to educate legislators on this issue and support SB 316 to expand the assessment responsibility to improve the delivery of care for behavioral health patients in Michigan.
Additional behavioral health legislation advanced in the Senate this week:
- SB 303, also sponsored by Sen. Roger Hauck, renews Michigan’s participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. It passed unanimously in the Senate and now moves to the House Health Policy Committee.
- SBs 219–222, introduced by Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), update procedures for Assisted Outpatient Treatment to improve care for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises.
In the House, the Rules Committee passed House Bill 4246, sponsored by Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington), which would establish a nurse licensure compact agreement in Michigan. The MHA has expressed support for each of these legislative efforts.
Members with additional questions should contact Elizabeth Kutter at the MHA.