Mental Health Association in California Update

An update from Rusty Selix, Executive Director of California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies:

Since my presentation at the WF Summit, the  Mental Health Association in California has sponsored 1 bill:

AB 722 would prohibit insurers from using a previously treated mental illness (or any other non life threatening or chronic condition) that no longer is being treated, as a preexisting condition.

We have also testified in budget sub-committees working to defeat a cut in Mental Health Medi-Cal Managed Care funding that is proposed based upon the increased federal share of Medi-Cal and to restore EPSDT cost of living increases that were denied in the last two budgets.

We are concerned that this decrease in funding would exacerbate massive cuts in mental health services already taking place in counties due to declining revenues from the 1991 so called realignment which made the main non Prop 63 funding source a designated share of state sales and vehicle license tax revenues. Cuts are about $300 million.

If you are interested in the full text of my comments at the budget committee hearing, click here.

Finally, we are working with partners to defeat Prop 1E- diverting $460 million in mental health funds to pay for a federally mandated mental health program for kids known as EPSDT so that the savings really go to the general fund and not to any mental health program.

For further information on our highest priority policy work, go to www.noProp1E.com.