2025 Access to Care Agenda
It’s a busy week in Annapolis! Many of the bills prioritized in the Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition’s 2025 Access to Care Agenda have hearings scheduled over the next few days, including the following important initiatives.
Prohibiting Balance Billing (HB 11) – The Maryland General Assembly passed a law in 2022 to protect Marylanders with private health insurance from having to pay higher costs when they are forced to go out-of-network for mental health and substance use care. Unfortunately, although Maryland remains among the worst states for access to affordable, in-network behavioral health care, these balance billing protections are set to expire in July. This bill will make these important protections permanent.
Prohibiting Fail First Protocols (SB 111/HB 382) – Fail first, or “step therapy,” is the practice of denying patients the medications prescribed by their doctor unless they first fail on a medication preferred by their insurance company. This process can take weeks or months and have serious health consequences, especially for individuals living with mental health conditions. These bills would prohibit insurance companies from utilizing fail first protocols for medications used to treat serious mental illnesses.
MHAMD 2025 Legislative Briefing and Reception
Join us in Annapolis on February 12 for MHAMD’s annual legislative briefing and reception!
We are excited to welcome our keynote speaker, Dr. Mary Olson, founding director of the Yale-sponsored Institute for Dialogic Practice. Dr. Olson will speak about her efforts to expand access to the Open Dialogue Model — an innovative, recovery-oriented approach to crisis intervention and system design.
Dr. Olson will be followed by a response panel of leaders and policymakers who will discuss how adoption of the model could help ensure we are appropriately meeting the needs of Marylanders with serious mental illness, especially those who may be subject to Maryland’s new assisted outpatient treatment law. Confirmed panelists include:
- Dr. Laura Herrera Scott, Secretary, Maryland Department of Health
- Senator Malcolm Augustine, President Pro Tem and Member of the Commission on Behavioral Health Care Treatment and Access
- Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk, Chair, House Health and Government Operations Committee
- Katie Rouse, Executive Director, On Our Own of Maryland
Seating at this event is limited! Register today to reserve your spot.
This Week in Annapolis
In addition to the legislation detailed above, MHAMD will provide testimony this week on the following bills. Click here to see our full updated bill list.
SB 370 MHAMD supports this bill to improve the impact of important harm reduction services by decriminalizing possession of drug paraphernalia.
SB 359/HB 185 MHAMD supports this bill to extend funding for a grant program that supports childcare for children under the age of six who have developmental delays, physical disabilities, or delays in social, emotional or behavioral functioning.
Further information about the material above is available on the Maryland General Assembly website.