State Rep. Matthew Bierlein today voiced his support for bills that will end wrongful denials for needed mental health care and deliver a better mental health system for residents and families.

The legislation to create fair standards in mental health requires health insurance companies to follow best-practice clinical standards when making mental health and substance disorder coverage decisions. Insurance companies already follow best-practice clinical standards when covering physical health, so the reforms ensure mental health and substance use disorder treatments have equal coverage.

Currently, Michigan residents are often denied coverage for standard mental health treatments like therapy or impatient care due to vague or outdated definitions within insurance plans that determine if something is medically necessary. Bierlein, who chairs the House Oversight Subcommittee on Public Health and Food Security, said the outdated policies fail to treat mental health and substance use disorders with the urgency and seriousness they deserve – leaving providers unable to support patients.

“Each day, mental health professionals in Michigan are forced to turn away patients in need of support,” said Bierlein, of Vassar. “The harsh reality is that when people see months or years of deferred and delayed treatments and can’t access these interventions, the results are tragic. It leads to more emergency room visits, more overdoses, more suicides, and more families pushed into financial crisis.

“These current policies don’t just exacerbate suffering; they undermine the potential for recovery and long-term wellness. We need a better way forward.”

Bierlein has co-sponsored a bill within the legislative package. He added the plans help hold insurers accountable to their promises and protect patients, while providing a key step in delivering fairness and transparency in health care for Michiganders.

The introduction of the plans in June comes as the state faces significant mental health care challenges. Just a month after the bills were formally read into the record, a man was arrested and charged in Traverse City after stabbing and injuring 11 people at a department store. According to reports following the incident, the attacker’s brother said the family had been pushing for placement in a mental health treatment facility for over 25 years. An attorney who previously represented the attacker said he had dealt with court-recognized mental health issues and had been unable to receive formalized treatment.

“We have seen the consequences of delayed or denied care,” Bierlein said. “But we also know what’s possible when people receive the help they need – earlier recovery, healthier families, crisis intervention, and a stronger Michigan. Mental illness and addiction issues impact a sizable portion of our state’s population. We must act with fairness, compassion and determination so we can start to turn these startling statistics around.”

House Bills 4683-85 are currently under consideration in the House Insurance Committee.