Another week, another dose of hope, Peter!

For Inseparable’s 5th anniversary, we’ve been giving out 5 reasons for hope in 2025. Given the threats to Medicaid that Congress is voting on, we thought it was a good time to look at how states are leading on mental health care.

State policies are unlocking better mental health care for us all. Just take a look:

✔️ In Colorado and Washington, it’s now the law that insurance companies have to use guidelines that do not deviate from medical best practice to decide whether mental health care is covered–they can’t override doctors’ recommendations anymore.

✔️ In Connecticut, the Department of Insurance has more power to enforce the law that says insurers have to cover mental health care the same way they do physical health care.

✔️ In Illinois, there is $49 million in new sustainable funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and crisis services.

✔️ In Montana, the legislature made significant investments in mental health in the state budget, including $40 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, $1.76M for school-based behavioral health initiatives, and $1.25M for community mental health crisis capacity.

With so many funding cuts to Medicaid, SAMHSA, and other federal programs, it’s never been more important for states to step up and protect access to mental health care.

These examples from Colorado, Washington, Connecticut, Illinois, and Montana show that states are leading the way. These state legislative actions are incredibly impactful, saving lives and improving wellness — a powerful reason for hope.

Thank you,

Abbie Hodgeson
Senior Director of State Affairs
Inseparable

 

 

 

 

 

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