Behavioral Health
Behavioral health is a major public health issue in the District of Columbia. Sadly, many of the legislative and regulatory initiatives around behavioral health are tied to other public health concerns, such as opioid addiction, maternal mortality, and health equity.
In partnership with the Washington Psychiatric Society, AMA, and American Psychiatric Association (APA), MSDC works to ensure that patients receive appropriate support for behavioral health issues, that the practice of psychiatry is supported in the District, and that psychiatrists are available to patients in the District.
MSDC was a proud supporter of the Behavioral Health Parity Act of 2017, which enshrined into law that all health plans offered by an insurance carrier meet federal requirements of the Wellstone/Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
MSDC Statements and Testimony of Behavioral Health Issues
25th Council period information coming soon
AMA Survey: Payers Failing to Fulfill Prior Auth Promises
In 2018, the medical and payer communities announced a voluntary agreement to reform the prior authorization process. Four years later, a new survey shows the payer side is failing to live up to its agreements.
In the survey released Tuesday (see here), over 1,000 physicians were interviewed about the impact of prior authorization on their practice. The results show that some promised reforms are just that - promised. For example:
- 9% (not a typo) of respondents reported "contracting with health plans that offer programs that exempt providers from [prior authorizations]"
- 65% (prescription) and 62% (service) of providers reported it is difficult to determine if their order requires a prior auth request.
- 26% of doctors reported their EHRs enable electronic prior auths for prescriptions
- 88% of doctors still say prior auths interfere with their continuity of care for patients.
“Authorization controls that do not prioritize patient access to timely, optimal care can lead to serious adverse consequences for waiting patients, such as a hospitalization, disability, or death,” AMA President Gerald Harmon, M.D., said in a statement. “Comprehensive reform is needed now to stem the heavy toll that continues to mount without effective action.”
MSDC is leading an effort in the District to force change in the prior authorization process. Bill B24-655 would align the District with reforms seen in many other states and outlined as best practice by the AMA. MSDC is pushing the Committee on Health to hold a hearing on B24-655 to allow patients and providers to share their stories. If you would like to get involved in MSDC's effort, visit msdc.org/priorauth or contact hay@msdc.org.
Sample of Legislation MSDC is Tracking in Behavioral Health
(see the whole list of bills here)
What does it do? The bill requires licensed health providers to complete 2 hours of CME on suicide prevention, assessment, and screening.
MSDC position: MSDC opposes the bill as written as the language does not encourage physician wellbeing or sufficient awareness of suicide prevention.
Current status: The bill had a hearing with the Committee on Health on June 10.