Behavorial Health Initiative Action Team
Action Team Goal
The Promote Behavioral Health Parity Action Team is working to promote the understanding of behavioral health parity and constituent rights in the region and to connect residents to resources and supports to close the gap in behavioral health coverage.
Targeted Problem
Despite federal law, not all insurance companies cover physical and behavioral health care equally. This lack of equal coverage hinders patients’ ability to access the behavioral health care they need.
What is Behavioral Health Parity?
Behavioral health parity is the equal treatment and coverage of mental illnesses and substance use disorders, in comparison to physical illnesses.
Our Collective Work
To address this problem, the Promote Behavioral Health Parity Action Team has been implementing an education campaign designed to give residents and professionals the knowledge and resources to advocate for parity in behavioral healthcare coverage. Find the resources created by the team below. A list of the Action Team members who contributed to this work can also be found below.
Understanding Behavioral Health Parity
The Action Team has focused on developing materials to educate the general public and behavioral health staff about behavioral health parity. They created an infographic to educate patients and providers alike about their rights to behavioral health parity. This infographic has been distributed virtually and physically to providers and staff around the region to share with their patients. To date, 437 printed copies were distributed to 12 partner agencies around the region. The team also provided a brief workshop on parity at the NWCHIR’s BHI Summit in May, 2023.
Helping a a Client Experiencing a Lack of Parity
The Promote Behavioral Health Parity Action Team created an educational guide for healthcare providers to help them identify cases where patients’ parity rights are violated and help them understand how to help.
Advocating for Parity
The Action Team has been advocating for and promoting bills in the Michigan legislature that have the opportunity to enhance behavioral health parity. They have drafted a support letter for House Bill 4707 and encouraged others to send it to their elected officials. They have also joined other advocacy efforts across to the state to further support the pursuit of parity.
Additional Resources
The Action Team has compiled a list of resources for Northwest Michigan residents to help them better understand parity, their rights, and how to advocate for them.
Action Team Members
Since 2022, 14 stakeholders in the Northwest MI region have been engaged in the work of this Action Team.
Leader
- David Freedman – Community Leadership Consulting
- Christine Gebhard – Northern Michigan Regional Entity
Members
- Brad Barron – Michigan State Government
- Mary Lynn Clark – McLaren Health Plan
- Deb Freed – Northern Lakes & North Country Community Mental Health
- Lou Gamalski – Harm Reduction Michigan
- Demarie Jones – Disability Network
- Gracie Kierczynski – District Health Department #10
- Katie Miller – District Health Department #10
- Jeff Nagy – Michigan Center for Rural Health
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT OUR WORK?
- Distribute our infographic to your network!
- If you are a healthcare provider, tell your clients about their parity rights and connect them with the resources listed in this guide to help them advocate for their parity rights.
- If you have experienced a lack of parity, share your story with us! Complete this short form to let us know you’re interested.
- Reach out to your legislators to share your personal experiences with a lack of parity.
