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
Join the physician letter asking for a prior auth hearing
MSDC is again pushing for the DC Council to hold a hearing on legislation to reform prior authorization, in line with recommendations made by the American Medical Association and other national healthcare groups. Last year, Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced this bill, and we have heard another bill may be introduced soon.
Without a hearing, the prior auth legislation cannot move forward for consideration by the Council. A hearing is also an opportunity by the Council to hear how and why prior auth is a burden to local practices. While MSDC has reams of data on national impact, the local impact moves the needle.
Just like last summer, we are asking you to join a physician sign-on letter asking for a hearing on potential legislation. Our hope is that if the bill drops shortly the letter can be used to show the urgency for a hearing.
Use this link to join our letter - the deadline is Tuesday, February 7.
The letter text is below. If you have any questions about prior auth or how to get involved, contact Robert Hay Jr at hay@msdc.org or 2O2-466-18OO.
February 7, 2023
The Honorable Christina Henderson
Chair, Committee on Health
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington DC 20004
Dear Chair Henderson,
We, the undersigned
physicians and healthcare professionals, urge you to hold a hearing on prior authorization legislation before the Council recess this summer.
According to a recent Axios article, 40 states are considering legislation to reform prior authorization
practices. The Mayor’s Healthcare Workforce Task Force includes a draft recommendation to reform the practice to prevent healthcare worker burnout and improve retention. Nationally, the movement is to reform a practice that harms patients and
hinders care, and the District needs to be a part of this movement.
A recent American Medical Association (AMA) physician survey on prior auth showed that 93% of physicians report care delays because of prior authorization. The same survey
showed that physician offices spend 13 hours each week (almost two business days) dedicated to prior auth paperwork.
These delays impact our residents and patients daily, leading many to wait unnecessarily for their treatments or choose
to abandon them altogether.
We ask you to hold a hearing on this bill because you and your colleagues need to hear our stories about how prior authorizations negatively impact physicians across the District. We look forward to continuing
to share our stories and working with your office to pass this legislation in 2023.
Sincerely,
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.