Washington receives $284,000 grant to bolster access to mental health and addiction treatment services

Insurance Commissioner
Mike Kreidler

Washington is one of 30 states plus the District of Columbia to receive a portion of an $8.6 million grant awarded through the State Flexibility to Stabilize the Market program created under the federal Affordable Care Act.

Washington received $284,135 of the total grant funding. Our state chose to focus the use of the funding to bolster access to mental health and addiction treatment services.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler applied for the grant to conduct a thorough analysis of whether health insurers in Washington offer comprehensive and affordable health coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatments.

Under the grant, his office will study health plan benefit design, insurers’ policies and procedures for coverage of these services, and claims data.

Kreidler’s office intends to form an advisory committee of consumers, medical and behavioral health providers and insurers to begin work this fall.

Analysis of the data will reveal if there are any coverage gaps or disparities in how behavioral health is covered compared to other health services and identify possible solutions.

Any issues uncovered during the data collection and Kreidler's recommendations will be part of a detailed report produced at the end of the two-year grant.