Michigan

Improving Access to Mental Health and Addiction Treatment

 

Michigan is taking big steps to improve mental health access, your story can help us keep moving forward. 

Have you ever struggled to get health insurance to cover mental health or substance use treatment for you or someone you know?
The Health is Health Campaign is collecting stories to help make the case for improving access to mental health and addiction treatment in Michigan.
Please take a moment to fill out this survey. Health is Health will not use your story without first contacting you for your written permission. 


Problem

Michigan is experiencing a mental health, substance use, and suicide crisis—and too many Michiganders aren’t getting the treatment they need.

  • Half of adult Michiganders with a mental health condition did not receive treatment in the prior year.

  • 15.99% of high school students in Michigan experienced major depression and 6 in 10 (60.3%) did not receive mental health services.

  • In 2021, the equivalent of 11 Michiganders died every day by suicide or an opioid overdose.

 

Michigan has an opportunity to improve access to mental health and addiction treatment by addressing a critical policy gap.

Unfortunately, ambiguities in state law make it more difficult for plans to know when they are providing parity coverage and can result in people being denied or cut off too early from clinically appropriate mental health care.

With growing mental health needs, more children and adults are affected than ever. State agencies and budgets are also affected because, when people are untreated or undertreated for mental health and addictions, they’re at increased risk of:

  • Unemployment;

  • Housing insecurity;

  • Interactions with law enforcement and the juvenile justice system;

  • School absences, suspension and expulsion, and dropping out;

  • Child welfare involvement;

  • Avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalization; and

  • Early deaths, such as overdoses, suicide, and untreated comorbid medical conditions.

Solution

Clarify Michigan law in common sense ways to make coverage parity a reality

  1. Require coverage decisions to be consistent with “generally accepted standards of care” and based on transparent, publicly-available treatment guidelines and service intensity/level of care tools developed by relevant clinical specialties;

  2. Prohibit limiting coverage to short-term symptom reduction for chronic conditions, which leads to cycles of relapse and costly emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and

  3. Close gaps in the continuum of care by ensuring parity with physical health for behavioral health intermediate levels of care (such as residential behavioral health services or intensive outpatient therapy) and emergency services.

 

This important policy step will level the playing field and provide certainty for health plans while providing peace of mind for individuals and families who struggle with mental health and substance use conditions. Three states—Illinois, Oregon, and California—have already acted and Michigan should follow suit.

Join Us

Join the Health is Health coalition as an individual or as an organization by completing the form.

Coalition members agree to:

  • Support the passage of mental health legislation in Michigan

  • Amplify coalition messages

  • Share stories showing the real-world impact on individuals and families and health systems when insurers deny or cut people off too early from needed mental health and substance use care

For organizations wishing to join, please complete this form.

Together we can make Michigan’s mental health and substance use coverage laws clear. Add your name as an individual to show you’re with us.

 

Take Action

Contact us
HealthIsHealth@Inseparable.com

Contact us

HealthIsHealth@Inseparable.com

The Kennedy Forum Logo
Inseparable Logo
Mental Health Association of Michigan Logo
Advocates for Mental Health for Michigan Youth Logo
National Association of Social Workers Michigan Chapter Logo
HIV AIDS Alliance of Michigan Logo
Oakland Forward Action Fund Logo
Equality Michigan Logo
CMHA - Community Mental Health Association of Michigan Logo
The Collaborative - MI Behavioral Health & Wellness Collaborative logo
Michigan Behavior Analysis Providers Association logo
The Goodlife Movement logo

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they text HOME to 741741.

Green silhouette of Michigan with text that says "health is health mental health care everyone can agree on"

Share Your Story

Michigan is taking big steps to improve mental health access, your story can help us keep moving forward. 

Have you ever struggled to get health insurance to cover mental health or substance use treatment for you or someone you know?
The Health is Health Campaign is collecting stories to help make the case for improving access to mental health and addiction treatment in Michigan.
Please take a moment to fill out this survey. Health is Health will not use your story without first contacting you for your written permission.