Behavioral Health
Behavioral health is a major public health issue in the District of Columbia. Sadly, many of the legislative and regulatory initiatives around behavioral health are tied to other public health concerns, such as opioid addiction, maternal mortality, and health equity.
In partnership with the Washington Psychiatric Society, AMA, and American Psychiatric Association (APA), MSDC works to ensure that patients receive appropriate support for behavioral health issues, that the practice of psychiatry is supported in the District, and that psychiatrists are available to patients in the District.
MSDC was a proud supporter of the Behavioral Health Parity Act of 2017, which enshrined into law that all health plans offered by an insurance carrier meet federal requirements of the Wellstone/Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
MSDC Statements and Testimony of Behavioral Health Issues
25th Council period information coming soon
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Report: Insurers Falling Short on Mental Health ParityJanuary 31, 2022
Payers are supposed to treat mental health like physical health, but the report shows many still differentiate in coverage.
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2022 Looks to Be A Very Busy Year in Physician AdvocacyJanuary 4, 2022
Physicians will need to be strong advocates for and against the major issues MSDC expects the DC Council to debate this calendar year.
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Dr. Lecuyer: Balances The Weight of Policy Advocacy with LevityDecember 29, 2021
Check out our newest member profile and learn a little more about Executive Committee member Dr. Matthew Lecuyer
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MSDC’s 2021 Annual Report Showcases DC Physician AchievementsDecember 28, 2021
MSDC’s 2021 accomplishments include increased physician wellbeing resources, major advocacy wins, and a growing and active physician membership. See the brief 2021 Annual Report video and 2021 highlights.
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Advocacy Curriculum: Looking Back on 2021 Year in Advocacy
December 21, 2021
This year saw some major wins in the physician agenda as well as the introduction of new tools to help with advocacy.
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Sample of Legislation MSDC is Tracking in Behavioral Health
(see the whole list of bills here)
What does it do? The bill requires licensed health providers to complete 2 hours of CME on suicide prevention, assessment, and screening.
MSDC position: MSDC opposes the bill as written as the language does not encourage physician wellbeing or sufficient awareness of suicide prevention.
Current status: The bill had a hearing with the Committee on Health on June 10.