Featured: Illinois State Senate Considers Bill That Would Improve Access to Mental Health Care
May is Mental Health Month, and we want to recognize the progress being made in Illinois and across the country to bring better mental health care to everyone who needs it. From new legislation to innovative care models, there is growing momentum to ensure mental health is treated with the same urgency and attention as physical health.
One promising step forward is Illinois House Bill 1085 (HB 1085), requiring fairer insurance reimbursements for mental health services. Supporters of the bill say these unbalanced reimbursements are a reason why so few mental health care providers join insurance networks, leaving patients few options to obtain care. The bill sets a payment floor for providers, which can lead to more specialists joining insurance networks, increasing access to affordable treatment and facilitating the earlier diagnosis of mental health conditions. Currently passed on a bipartisan basis in the House, the bill is now being considered in the state Senate.
At West Health, we believe policy change must be accompanied by new models of care that integrate behavioral health into the places people already turn for support, especially primary care.
That’s why we partnered with Northwestern Medicine to launch the Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator expanding access to integrated behavioral healthcare throughout Illinois and beyond. The Accelerator builds on Northwestern’s successful Collaborative Behavioral Health Program, which embeds mental health professionals into primary care settings to improve early diagnosis, reduce stigma and connect patients with care faster.
“We’re building a national model for mental health care that works—one that improves outcomes, lowers costs, and meets people where they are,” said Timothy A. Lash, President, West Health Institute. “Together with Northwestern Medicine, we’re designing and scaling solutions that deliver timely, equitable care and can be replicated nationwide.”
In a recent West Health–Gallup survey, three-quarters of Americans said mental health conditions are diagnosed and treated worse than physical health issues in our current system. We agree. The system must change — and Illinois is showing how.
True health is impossible without mental health. With forward-looking policy and collaborative innovation, Illinois is helping build a stronger, more equitable system of care.
