LANDING, Mich. – A new Michigan law requires insurance companies to cover mental health and substance use disorder treatment at the same level as physical health services. This week, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 27 into law.
“Michiganders’ mental health is no less important than their physical health. No one should go without the care they need because they can’t afford it,” State Senator Sarah Anthony, who sponsored the bill, said in a press release.
Inpatient, outpatient, and emergency services, as well as prescribed medication, are all covered under the law. According to the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, around 40% of Michigan residents with mental health concerns currently don’t seek treatment.
“Mental health and addiction treatment is viewed as being as vital as physical healthcare. There is an understanding in 2024 that the brain, the mind, and the body are a unified system,” Marianne Huff, President and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Michigan, said in a statement.
More than 46 million Americans aged 12 and older suffer from substance use disorder, according to the latest National Survey of Drug Use and Health.