Minnesota bill would bar counties from charging people for mobile crisis services
Bill would bar charges for crisis hotline
Minnesota counties and tribes would be barred from directly charging people for mobile crisis services under a proposed measure heard at the Legislature Tuesday.
(FOX 9) - Minnesota counties and tribes would be barred from directly charging people for mobile crisis services under a proposed measure heard at the Legislature Tuesday.
Lawmakers cite FOX 9 for exposing troubling practice of billing for mobile crisis services
What we know:
Senate File 1599 would prevent all 87 of Minnesota’s counties and four tribes from charging for mobile crisis services.
During a committee hearing Tuesday, Sen. Melissa Wiklund (DFL- District 51) cited reporting by the FOX 9 Investigators as inspiration for the bill, which found Ramsey County had billed hundreds of people who called the crisis hotline for mobile crisis services.
Timeline:
Ramsey County conducted an internal review and voted unanimously in November to end the controversial billing policy.
What they're saying:
Mental health experts say billing people for mobile crisis services adds barriers to mental health care and jeopardizes lives.
"It was never, ever contemplated that someone would be charged for the full costs of crisis services," said Sue Abderholden, executive director of Minnesota’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "This sets up a financial incentive for the individual to use police instead of crisis teams."
What's next:
The bill currently sits in the Senate Health and Human Services committee where it remains under consideration.