08/22/2026
As a Licensed Professional Counselor this hits me directly. Spending two years with a limited license meant not seeing certain insurances - including Veterans TriCare.
Watching insurance GIANTS like Blue Cross Blue Shield looking to change policy to restrict access to mental health care is infuriating and terrifying. We don't need LESS clinicians we need MANY MORE to fill the shortages.
Supporting mental health care access is one of my top priorities. This includes supporting loan repayment programs to expand the workforce, pushing for increased Medicaid reimbursement (like forcing MDHHS to spend the money allocated already), and reducing access barriers like multiple appointments just to be approved for services before even meeting your therapist.
To everyone who showed up yesterday, thank you for standing strong for our clients AKA our neighbors and friends!
2,769 people answered. 73% of clients told us they would go without mental health care.
That is what the proposed BCBSM incident-to change looks like from the chair on the other side of the room. The people in this photo are Michigan counselors who took a working day to say so out loud.
The full impact assessment is on our site now, including the methodology and every finding.
www.mmhcanow.org/bcbsm-impact