Legislation bolstering mental health care access goes to MD Senate Floor
Salisbury, Md. – Several bills have been introduced in Maryland’s General Assembly to increase investments in several aspects that increase access mental health care access, including increasing transparency over how mental health care coverage works.
Inseparable Chief Policy Officer David Lloyd will testify in Annapolis on Wednesday in support of Senate Bill 774, also known as the TRUTH in Mental Coverage Act, which proponents say will increase transparency on how mental health care coverage works. Inseparable is a nonprofit organization advocating for mental health coverage reform at the state and federal level.
“Right now, coverage exists on paper, but often mental health care is out of reach, often due to problems that people experience with their health insurance plan,” he said.
On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, mental health care access can be even more difficult than other parts of the state because of unique challenges that come with living in more rural areas. Marianne Gibson, vice president of Youth, Workforce & Crisis Policy at Inseparable, is a Salisbury University alum and said transpaortation alone is a huge factor in getting any kind of health care on the Eastern Shore.
“When there are larger geographic areas with fewer people, there may be less places for people to go,” Gibson said. “Additionally, with services like mobile crisis, it may take longer for individuals to be served.”
TidalHealth Vice President of Population Health Dr. Kathryn Fiddler said challenges with transportation, insurance coverage, child care and time off from work can make getting health care especially difficult for those who live and work in rural areas.
“There’s so many barriers to getting access to care and then adding all those barriers to mental health becomes something even bigger,” she said.
She said there are also certain stigmas in discussing mental health that can be particularly felt by some people on the Eastern Shore.
“People here are special and we also believe that we can do everything on our own,” Fiddler said. “So reaching out for help, it’s easy to help others, but it’s not so easy to ask for that help.”
Due to cuts to Medicaid and skyrocketing insurance premiums, advocates and doctors alike said it’s imperative to invest in access to mental health care, the same way it would be important to get access to physical health care.
“Health is health, you know, our minds and our bodies are inseparable, as our name suggests,” Lloyd said. “We can’t separate mental health from overall health and well-being.”
As for SB 774, though Fiddler said though she couldn’t speak to specific legislation, it is critical people have access to crisis stabilization and crisis services and “anything surrounding access to care and insurance and also provider access.”
“Because we know that we have shortages in multiple areas and so these are all critically important for us and things that we do not take lightly,” she said.
A hearing for SB 774 will take place on the state senate floor on Wednesday at 1 p.m.
TidalHealth offers a walk-in Crisis Center on 100 E. Carroll St. in Salisbury. The national suicide prevention hotline is 988.
