LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Mark Huizenga recently introduced bipartisan legislation to create a framework for Behavioral Health Transportation, including providing Medicaid reimbursement for emergency transport for individuals experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis.
“People deserve timely and professional mental healthcare,” said Huizenga, R-Walker. “These bills provide a safer, more affordable solution to help people in crisis.”
Michigan currently doesn’t offer emergency medical transportation for people experiencing an acute mental health crisis. Individuals are either transported by ambulance or law enforcement.
Senate Bills 927 and 928, along with House Bills 5943 and 5944, introduced by Reps. Steve Frisbie, R-Pennfield, and Amos O’Neal, D-Saginaw, would make behavioral health transportation, including interfacility transfers, psychiatric admissions and mental health evaluations, a Medicaid-covered service.
The bills outline patient eligibility, provider operating requirements and standards to ensure responsible use of taxpayer dollars. They would also establish safety and training standards for care delivery to keep workers and patients safe, including mental health first aid, CPR, trauma-informed care, de-escalation techniques, vehicle regulations and other patient protections.
“As a paramedic for 40 years, I understand the cost taxpayers bear every time we are called to a mental health crisis,” Frisbie said. “By replacing costly emergency transports with targeted behavioral health transportation, we are prioritizing saving lives and tax dollars.”
Huizenga said this legislation being signed into law would mark a significant improvement in how Michigan addresses mental health crises.
“These reforms would be a major step toward a system that treats mental health crises with the seriousness and compassion they deserve,” Huizenga said. “When we have skilled and supportive transport staff, it builds trust, which is paramount in an emergency situation.
“This is good for patients; this is good for taxpayers; and this is good for Michigan.”
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Editor’s note: Video of Wednesday’s press conference is available by clicking on the image or by visiting SenatorMarkHuizenga.com/video. A print-quality version of the above image is also available on Huizenga’s website at SenatorMarkHuizenga.com/photos.
Photo caption: State Sen. Mark Huizenga, R-Walker, stands at the podium alongside state Rep. Steve Frisbie, R-Pennfield and Sen. Sylvia Santana, D-Detroit, discussing legislation to create a framework for Behavioral Health Transportation, including providing Medicaid reimbursement for emergency transport for individuals experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis.