Senate Bill 220 amends Michigan's mental health code, primarily affecting individuals receiving mental health services and the community mental health programs that provide them. The bill establishes a formalized statewide mediation process for resolving disputes between service recipients (or their representatives) and mental health service providers regarding the planning and delivery of services. It mandates that providers offer mediation, sets timelines for the mediation process, and requires the Department to fund and contract with mediation organizations. Additionally, the bill clarifies procedures for mental health evaluations at designated hospitals, including a requirement for preadmission screening units to complete examinations within two hours in most cases.
Senate Bill 221 establishes a new process for individuals charged with misdemeanor offenses who have mental health issues. The bill allows for the diversion of these defendants into assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) if the prosecuting attorney, defendant, and defense counsel agree to an assessment and the defendant meets the AOT criteria. If a court orders AOT for up to 180 days, the misdemeanor charges remain pending but are dismissed after 90 days (or 180 days for serious misdemeanors). This diversion pathway provides an alternative to standard mental competency procedures for eligible misdemeanor offenders.
SB 180 is a funding bill that allocates $39.29 billion to Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It provides specific funding for key programs including $276 million for department administration and management, $195 million for child support enforcement operations, and $197 million for community services like homeless programs, diaper assistance, and housing support. The bill directly affects DHHS operations and the state's recipients of these services, such as families using child support enforcement, homeless individuals accessing shelter programs, and low-income households receiving food or housing aid. It establishes the financial framework for these programs but does not change their underlying policies or eligibility rules.
SB 3 creates a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to establish maximum payment limits for certain prescription drugs, including brand-name, generic, biologic, and biosimilar medications. The Board, appointed by the governor with health care expertise, will review drug costs and set these limits to improve affordability for Michigan residents. It also establishes a Prescription Drug Affordability Stakeholder Council to provide input and a fund to support the program. This law directly affects drug manufacturers, health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and state agencies by requiring adherence to the set payment limits.
Senate Bill 4 amends Michigan's insurance code to require health insurers that provide prescription drug coverage to comply with section 12 of the prescription drug cost and affordability review act. This means insurers delivering or renewing health policies in the state must adhere to specific provisions outlined in that separate act related to prescription drug costs. The bill's enactment is dependent on Senate Bill No. 3 also becoming law.
Senate Bill 5 mandates that Michigan's medical assistance program, which includes Medicaid, must comply with section 12 of the "prescription drug cost and affordability review act," subject to federal law. This means the state's program for medical assistance will be required to follow specific rules related to prescription drug costs and affordability outlined in that separate act. The bill will only become effective if Senate Bill No. 3 of the 103rd Legislature is also passed into law.
Senate Bill 107 requires health insurance policies delivered or renewed in Michigan to provide coverage for specific services administered or ordered by pharmacists, starting January 1, 2026. This includes immunizations listed on CDC schedules, certain laboratory tests, and drugs dispensed by a pharmacist, provided these services are received at an in-network pharmacy and are within the scope of practice defined by the public health code. The bill allows insurers to apply existing utilization management, prior authorization, and cost-sharing requirements, such as deductibles or co-pays, to this coverage.
SB 135 requires Michigan health insurers to provide dependent coverage until age 26, with identical benefits and premiums as other dependents. It mandates coverage for newborns from birth, including treatment for congenital defects, and prohibits denying coverage based on factors like out-of-wedlock birth or tax filing status. The bill also bans lifetime and annual dollar limits on essential health benefits (such as hospital care, maternity services, mental health, and prescription drugs) and requires no cost-sharing for preventive services meeting federal guidelines. These changes apply to individual and small group health insurance policies sold in Michigan, directly affecting insurers and their policyholders.
Senate Bill 33 amends Michigan's Estates and Protected Individuals Code concerning patient advocate designations. The bill allows individuals to include specific instructions within their patient advocate designation regarding desired life-sustaining treatment, even if they are pregnant. It removes the existing legal prohibition that prevents patient advocates from making decisions to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment from a pregnant patient if such a decision would result in the patient's death. This change enables a patient advocate to follow a pregnant patient's pre-expressed wishes concerning end-of-life care.
SB 30, known as the "Biased and Unjust Care Reporting Act," requires the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to collect reports from individuals who are pregnant or in the postpartum period. These reports concern gynecological or perinatal care that does not meet standards for being culturally congruent, unbiased, just, or dignified. The DHHS will use a validated tool to identify instances of "obstetric violence" and "obstetric racism," as defined in the bill. The department will then provide a report containing de-identified data on the incidence and prevalence of these issues to the governor and relevant legislative committees, without identifying specific healthcare providers.
