New law prevents charging people who call the crisis hotline
New law bars billing people in crisis
Under a new state law, Minnesotans who experience a mental health crisis will not be charged for mobile crisis services. The legislation gained bipartisan support after the FOX 9 Investigators exposed how one of the state’s largest counties billed people hundreds of times after calling the crisis hotline.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Under a new state law, Minnesotans who experience a mental health crisis will not be charged for mobile crisis services. The legislation gained bipartisan support after the FOX 9 Investigators exposed how one of the state’s largest counties billed people hundreds of times after calling the crisis hotline.
Lawmakers cite FOX 9 for exposing troubling practice of billing for mobile crisis services
What we know:
Under the new law, all of Minnesota’s 87 counties and four tribes are now barred from charging people directly for mobile crisis services, which provide mental health care and stabilization for people in crisis.
During a committee hearing in March, Sen. Melissa Wiklund, a Democrat, cited reporting by the FOX 9 Investigators as inspiration for the bill.
A surprise bill after calling the crisis hotline
The backstory:
Following a mental health incident last year, Adam Haidet received a $342 bill for mobile crisis services after a family friend called the Ramsey County crisis hotline for help.
"Honestly, I believe at least one life will be lost if it’s not changed," Haidet said at the time.
By the numbers:
Billing records obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators revealed Ramsey County had billed people in crisis at least 745 times over the span of a year and a half.
Ramsey County issued a public apology and after an internal review, the county board voted unanimously in November 2024 to end the controversial billing policy.
What they're saying:
Mental health experts previously told the FOX 9 Investigators that billing people for mobile crisis services adds barriers to mental health care and jeopardizes lives.
"What's really at risk is someone becoming so ill that they come into contact with the police, or they end up in the emergency room," said Sue Abderholden, executive director of Minnesota’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Abderholden said in a recent interview that she welcomes the new law and that "we just wanted to make sure that it wasn’t going to happen to anyone else in the future."