MHAC Priority Legislation

MHAC Position: Support

Author: Padilla

Date: 04/26/2024

This bill would require the office, on or before January 1, 2027, to update the State Emergency Plan to include proposed policies and best practices for local government and nongovernmental entities to equitably serve LGBTQ+ communities during an emergency or natural disaster. The bill would require the office to coordinate with specified representatives from LGBTQ+ communities in complying with this requirement and would make related findings and declarations.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Cortese

Date: 04/22/2024

This bill would require a health care service plan and a disability insurer, and an entity acting on a plan’s or insurer’s behalf, to ensure compliance with specific requirements for utilization review, including maintaining telephone access during California business hours for a health care provider to request authorization for mental health and substance use disorder care and conducting peer-to-peer discussions regarding specific patient issues related to treatment. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Wahab

Date: 04/26/2024

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan contract or disability insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021, to provide coverage for medically necessary treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, as defined, under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions.This bill would require a plan or insurer subject to the above-described coverage requirement, and its delegates, to establish a process to reimburse providers for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services that are integrated with primary care services and provided under a contract or policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Wahab

Date: 04/18/2024

This bill would add to the Youth Bill of Rights the right to not be deprived of mental health resources, including daily access to counselors, therapists, mentors, or any related services necessary for mental well-being, rehabilitation, and the promotion of positive youth development while detained in a juvenile facility.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Eggman

Date: 04/26/2024

This bill would authorize a county to report to the Department of Managed Health Care or the Department of Insurance a complaint about a health care service plan’s or a health insurer’s failure to make a good faith effort to contract or enter into an agreement with the county to obtain reimbursement for behavioral health crisis services, or to timely reimburse the county for services the plan or insurer is required to cover by state or federal law, and would require the respective department to timely investigate the complaint.

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MHAC Position: Support, MHAC Sponsored

Author: Pellerin

Date: 04/18/2024

This bill would recognize the 3rd week of May 2024 as Peer Appreciation Week in California.

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