HELENA — Montanans could have access to fully insured mental health screenings if a bill working its way through the Legislature passes.
Sen. Mike Yakawich, R-Billings, is carrying Senate Bill 244, which would mandate insurance coverage for standardized, evidence-based behavioral health screenings and assessments. The Senate passed the bill on a 40-8 vote last month and it is now up for debate in the House.
At a hearing in the House Business and Labor Committee on Tuesday, proponents, mainly healthcare providers and hospital representatives, urged the committee’s support of the bill.
JJ Carmody with Billings Clinic-Logan Health told the committee these screenings can help identify worrying symptoms early and lead to necessary mental health care.
“ We've had many patients that had initially screened positive but after seeing the cost on their bill, they declined further screenings,” Carmody said. “This limits the ability to concretely monitor symptoms over time.”
Yakawich said insurance companies seem to be happy to cover the costs, attributing the support to avoiding further, more intense costs down the road. But he also said he believes they think this is just good policy.
The hearing drew one opponent: Steven Pierce of the Citizen’s Commission of Human Rights, a self-described psychiatric watchdog organization co-founded by the Church of Scientology.
“ It should be on an as-need basis, and it shouldn't be universal, because the results will, will actually be detrimental to people who don't need the treatment, who will be taking them the treatment route, and it will be a detriment to their health,” Pierce said.
The House committee has not yet taken action on SB 244. Yakawich is also carrying two suicide prevention bills, Senate Bills 95 and 369. Both are still awaiting additional hearings.
Clayton Murphy is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association, the Montana Newspaper Association and the Greater Montana Foundation. Murphy can be reached at clayton.murphy@umconnect.umt.edu.
