ATLANTA — Georgia’s new psychological well being parity legislation went into impact on Friday, July 1.
Underneath new state legislation, Georgia well being insurers should cowl psychological well being remedy on the similar degree as bodily illnesses.
“Parity kicks in instantly,” Rep. Todd Jones, R-South Forsyth, stated of the July 1 begin date for the brand new legislation.
Jones, together with Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, co-sponsored the omnibus invoice within the state Home earlier this 12 months.
“Hopefully, households in Georgia could have a higher alternative to obtain the remedy to which they’re entitled,” Oliver stated of the change led to by the brand new parity legislation.
“Individuals who have not gotten correct remedy — new funding is coming, new care is coming,” Oliver stated.
Oliver, together with a number of different psychological well being advocates, famous that Georgians can report suspected parity violations to the state insurance coverage division.
Experiences from Georgians about their experiences could be key to creating positive the legislation is enforced, Oliver stated.
Georgia’s new psychological well being legislation sends the message that “psychological well being issues and is simply as vital as bodily well being,” stated Kim Jones, government director of the Nationwide Alliance on Psychological Sickness of Georgia.
To clarify psychological well being parity, Jones gave the instance of a well being insurer providing out-of-network protection for pressing medical companies.
That insurer should additionally cowl out-of-network pressing psychological well being and substance use remedy beneath the parity rule, Jones defined.
Georgia’s insurance coverage division will quickly rent a brand new psychological well being parity officer to assist oversee the legislation, stated Weston Burleson, director of communications for the insurance coverage division.
Going ahead, the division will accumulate and publish detailed data on how well being insurers are doing on psychological well being parity, Burleson added.
The psychological well being legislation additionally establishes a brand new MATCH (Multi-Company Remedy for Youngsters) staff.
The staff will start assembly quickly and can take a tough have a look at the difficulty of Georgia youngsters in state custody who lack secure placements, Oliver stated.
“The difficulty of emergency placement for these youngsters wants a number of consideration,” Oliver stated, noting that a few of these youngsters are staying in motels or places of work.
The brand new legislation additionally helps set up psychological well being shared response packages, Oliver stated, with funding offered by the fiscal 12 months 2023 price range.
Co-response packages pair psychological well being professionals with legislation enforcement officers to assist reply to psychological well being and substance use crises. Packages typically additionally present follow-up companies.
Later this 12 months, the state will solicit proposals from communities that need to set up assisted outpatient remedy packages. The brand new psychological well being legislation supplies for 5 such packages on a “pilot” foundation.
In these packages, courts, working with group psychological well being and legislation enforcement businesses, can require individuals to obtain remedy for psychological well being and substance use issues.
In the meantime, the Georgia psychological well being fee is planning one other spherical of suggestions, and the subcommittees meet month-to-month, Oliver stated.
And the psychological well being fee is intently monitoring the progress of the provisions of the brand new legislation.
“There’s a number of work to do to make sure that our oversight results in a profitable implementation,” Oliver stated.
This story is obtainable by a information partnership with the Capitol Beat Information Service, a mission of the Georgia Press Academic Basis.
