While much attention remains focused on major health care reform as the legislative session draws to a close, mental health advocates are claiming a significant victory last week when Governor Jim Douglas signed into law H-404, "An Any Willing Provider" bill.

"This legislation expands access for all consumers of mental health and substance abuse services", said Ken Libertoff, director of the Vermont Association for Mental Health.

By passing this legislation, Vermont reaffirms the right of health care consumers to receive treatment from practitioners of their choice as long as they are licensed and certified by the state of Vermont.

In recent years, especially since passage of Vermont's parity bill of 1997, which greatly expanded insurance coverage, advocates have argued that restrictive and limited managed care networks in mental health and substance abuse oftentimes created serious barriers to effective and accessible treatment. 

In addition, consumers frequently lost access to their therapist when their insurance coverage changed because each (insurance) company or managed care entity maintained their own network of (mental health and substance abuse) clinicians.

Research indicates that in behavioral healthcare, the relationship between the consumer and clinician is an important variable in effective treatment.

Several of the states professional groups were strong proponent supporters of the bill with particular leadership from the Vermont Psychological Association.

Libertoff characterized the passage of H-404 as an example of "incremental health care reform", one which will expand access to care without impacting its cost. "This bill is a winner".