April 14th, 2025
The Honorable Mia Bonta
Chair, Assembly Health Committee
1020 N Street, Room 390
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Support for AB 512 (Harabedian)
Dear Chair Bonta,
Mental Health America of California (MHAC) is pleased to support Assembly Bill 512 (Harabedian), legislation that would shorten prior authorizations for health care services to no more than 48 hours for standard requests or 24 hours for urgent requests.
MHAC is a peer-run organization leading the state in behavioral health public policy and advocacy since 1957. The mission of MHAC is to assist and encourage communities, families and individuals to experience hope, wellness and recovery from mental health and substance use disorder issues through voluntary services that are delivered in their local community with compassion and respect for everyone’s dignity and autonomy. Prior authorization procedures can create significant barriers to access voluntary mental health and substance use services.
The prior authorization process requires providers to obtain approval from health plans before delivering certain services or support, including mental health care. However, this process can take anywhere from one to five days. This delay can create unnecessary barriers to accessing voluntary services, services that are intended to support individuals before they reach a point of crisis. This bill ensures that care is delivered promptly by reducing delays for both standard and urgent requests.
It is for these reasons MHAC supports AB 512 (Harabedian) and asks for your “Aye” vote. If you have any questions, or if MHAC can provide any assistance on this bill or any behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me at hstrunk@mhac.org or our Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari, at kvicari@mhaofca.org.
In Community,
Heidi L. Strunk
President & CEO
