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

MSDC President Dr. Ashesh Patel's Statement on Markup of B25-545

Mar 21, 2024, 19:20 PM by Ashesh D. Patel, MD FACP

MSDC remains concerned about the bill's scope of practice expansions but thanks the committee members and staff for their work on the bill.

MSDC and the physician community would like to thank the Committee on Health for marking up B25-545, the Health Occupations Revision General Amendment Act. We especially want to thank the Council members and staff for allowing us the opportunity to express concern with provisions in the original bill that would endanger patient safety and remove the physician from the center of the healthcare team. Even though we are pleased to see some changes, we will continue to work with the entire Council to ensure that the legislation removes persistent language that would place the District behind other states in terms of standards of care, affordability, efficiency and patient safety.

- Ashesh D. Patel, MD FACP

Sample of Legislation MSDC is Tracking in Behavioral Health

(see the whole list of bills here)

Suicide Prevention Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2019 (B23-543)

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.