Sonoma County, California 94952, United States
good news for mental health parity and peer certification
SB 803 Peer Certification and Mental Health Parity AB 2266
ADAM BEAM ASSOCIATED PRESSSeptember 25, 2020, 2:42PM
AB 2266 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Friday that for the first time in California defines “medical necessity," a move aimed at requiring private health insurance plans to pay for more mental health and drug addiction treatments.
State and federal laws already require health insurance companies to handle mental health treatments the same as physical health treatments. The California Health Benefits Review Program says 99.8% of people enrolled in private health insurance plans have coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders on par with other medical conditions. But those laws don't define what is “medically necessary” to determine which treatments get covered. Because of that, advocates say private insurers often deny coverage for some mental health and drug abuse treatments based on their own restrictive definitions.
The law requires all private insurers to cover medically necessary mental health and drug addiction treatments. The law says when insurance companies decide whether a treatment is medically necessary, they must follow the most recent criteria and guidelines developed by nonprofit professional associations, like the American Society of Addiction Medicine. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco and the author of the bill, said many insurance companies refuse mental health or drug addiction treatment for people “by saying it’s not serious enough.” He said that’s like telling a stage one cancer patient they can’t get treated until they are at stage four.
“We would never tolerate that with physical health. Yet we tolerate it with addiction,” he said.
The California Association of Health Plans called it a “misconception” that private insurers wait until people are in crisis before they cover their treatment for mental health or drug addiction. They had asked Newsom to veto the bill, arguing it “recklessly defines medical necessity in a way that will undermine the ability of providers to determine what is clinically appropriate for their patients."
Newsom acknowledged that pressure during a virtual bill signing ceremony on Friday, saying “not everybody is happy with us.” “I got a lot of folks that wanted to pull the plug on this Zoom call today, but we're doing it because we're zooming into the future," Newsom said.
The new law takes effect Jan. 1, and it comes as Californians are dealing with a coronavirus pandemic, a reckoning over racial injustice and massive wildfires that have destroyed homes and businesses while turning the air toxic.
Arthur Evans, CEO of the American Psychological Association, says the group's annual “Stress in America” survey has shown the highest stress levels since the survey began in 2007.
“All of that really emphasizes the need to have access to not only adequate care but to really have access to excellent care just because we know the need is significant right now,” he said.
Joe Parks, medical director for the National Council on Behavioral Health, called the law the first comprehensive reform in the country. He said he hoped it would “encourage other states to fill the gaps that they have with this legislation.” The bill was one of more than a dozen health-related measures Newsom signed on Friday.
SB 803 Peer Certification
The bills included one authored by Sen. Jim Beall, a Democrat from San Jose, that sets standards for peer support specialists — people who have suffered from mental health or drug addiction and want to counsel others experiencing the same problems. The bill also authorizes the state's Medicaid program to seek permission from the federal government to cover peer support specialists.
Similar bills have been vetoed twice before by previous governors. It's one of the final bills authored by Beall to become law as the senator is leaving office this year because of term limits. “The pandemic has really changed the public's view on this. We now have a pandemic of despair going on,” Beall said, adding that the bill “adds proven mental health resources when we need it most.”
SB 803 Peer Certification
September 25, 2020
Sacramento, CA – This morning Governor Newsom signed SB 803 (Beall, D- San Jose), which establishes statewide peer support training and certification standards and billing codes for peer support services, allowing counties to draw down millions in federal funding. Peer support specialists are people with lived experience with mental illness and substance use disorders who help people currently experiencing those hardships.
"Peer support services are an evidence-based, cost-effective model of care proven to reduce cost and increase participation in treatment. Forty-Eight other states have seen the benefit and value of peer support services; now it is time for California to catch up and establish a peer support specialist certification process." – Senator Jim Beall
“I’m thrilled to say that in California, we will have a statewide scope of practice, standardized curriculum, training and supervision standards, and certification protocol for peer support services. Our coalition of advocates and bi-partisan supporters rallied for Peer Support for years. It’s time to celebrate our progress and the next generation by continuing to advocate for mental health at the State level… and yes, third time’s a charm!” – Senator Jim Beall
This is the third year Senator Beall has carried this legislation and is celebrating the victory and legacy he leaves as he completes his final term in the California State Senate. Unlike prior years’ bills, SB 803 was carefully crafted to ameliorate the vast majority of state general fund costs, which Governor Newsom’s prior veto message flagged as a key concern.
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CONTACT
Andrea Bonilla
925-297-7009
andrea.bonilla@sen.ca.gov
Proposed Ballot Measure to support mental health and housing
Hosted by NAMI Sonoma County
Proposed Sonoma County 2020 Ballot Measure Would Support Mental Health, Homeless, Housing and Substance Use Services
Join us via Zoom to learn more!
Our entire community is impacted when we lack mental health and substance use disorder services, from first responders responding to mental health crises to a loss of quality of life in neighborhoods impacted by homelessness. In Sonoma County, budget shortfalls have resulted in cuts to essential programs at the same time that needs for treatment have increased.
Coming soon, a NAMI Sonoma County Zoom meeting will offer a venue to hear from Sonoma County Department of Health and Community Development Commission representatives, who are jointly considering a 2020 ballot measure that would raise additional funding for these services. Learn what the proposed sales tax would look like, what services it would expand and what kind of accountability would be required.
Email info@namisoco.org if you would like to receive a Zoom Meeting link once the date and time are set.
