The Illinois Psychological Association (IPA) demonstrated the important role coalitions play in ushering state and local change through its partnership with the mental health coalition and APA’s national partner Inseparable, which spearheaded the Health is Health campaign. Thanks to the hard work of IPA and its partners, last month Illinois became the third U.S. state to require insurance companies to cover mental health care.
The campaign centered on legislation HB2595, which Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law on August 25, 2021. By requiring insurance companies in the state to cover mental health, the new law will save lives, reduce homelessness, and strengthen local and state communities and economies.
IPA President Abby Brown, PsyD, emphasized the importance of collaboration and coalition efforts at the state level: “It was incredibly important to see the IPA work across the mental health landscape to get important initiatives like this in front of lawmakers. We are very grateful to have worked with dedicated partners in a coalition like the Kennedy Forum, in addition to the individual clinicians who joined this effort. In terms of importance to mental health in Illinois, the bill will help to ensure that Illinoisans are able to receive medically necessary mental health care as prioritized by their provider. This will hopefully enhance individual patient progress by reducing barriers such as insurance interference.”
APA will continue to provide updates on state-level efforts to increase coverage for mental health services. This is a great example of leveraging federal-state relationships to advance APA policy priorities. APA’s national-level relationship with Inseparable helped pave the way for building relationships and coalition work at the state level. Congratulations to IPA for their impactful effort.
To learn more about APA’s work with Inseparable, contact Katherine B. McGuire.