By Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul

The need to address access to mental health care in New Jersey is urgent.

We frequently receive calls at our Legislative District 11 office from residents seeking mental health support services but have no idea where to go because our mental health care system can be overwhelming, expensive, and difficult to access.

As the current legislative session ends, it is gratifying to report that some of our efforts to address the growing number of adults and children in New Jersey with mental illness and behavioral disabilities have now become law. In New Jersey, nearly 1.4 million adults have a mental health condition, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). That’s more than four times the population of New Jersey’s largest city, Newark. 

The problem is even more pronounced in children, with the NAMI reporting that one-in nine adolescents, aged 12-17, have serious thoughts of suicide each year. Yet, the ratio for school psychologists available to help students in K-12 public schools is one for every 633 students.

Access to mental health help is likely to become worse as a result of federal funding cuts to various mental health programs.

One of our bills that was just signed into law requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for screening, prevention, and treatment services of behavioral health issues affecting children. This bill requires health insurers, the State Health Benefits Program, and the State Medicaid program to provide benefits to any covered person, including children. The new law also requires the state Medicaid program to accept and reimburse claims for screening, prevention, and treatment for people diagnosed as at-risk.

Another area of treating mental illness that is often cumbersome for patients suffering serious mental illness is getting prior authorization from insurance providers for prescription medications. 

That’s why we cosponsored legislation that requires insurers to provide coverage without prior authorization for those patients. Our Legislative District 11 partner, Senator Vin Gopal, was a primary sponsor of the bill in the Senate. 

This new law requires health insurance carriers, the State Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare programs to provide coverage if a person has been stable and appropriately treated for a serious mental illness using a drug prescribed by a psychiatrist or an obstetrician/gynecologist for a period of six months. It also enables another healthcare professional to continue prescribing that drug without a new prior authorization or utilization management requirements. Insurance providers are required to cover drugs for serious mental illness without prior authorization only for people who are 18 years of age or older.

Access to health care in general and mental health care specifically has always been a top priority for the Legislative District 11. It will continue to be a priority in the new legislative session as we work with area hospitals, healthcare professionals, and our nonprofit partners. 

When we improve access to mental health treatment and better health care for everyone, we make our state healthier, more affordable, fairer, and more equitable for all residents.

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