By Andy Marso

An official with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Tuesday that the department still expects the Legislature to pass a bill that will allow agency officials to regulate mental health drugs.

State law currently bans prior authorization or other regulatory tools for antipsychotic drugs covered by Medicaid.

An attempt to roll back that ban this year failed due to opposition by mental health advocates, but a compromise measure that would establish an independent advisory panel to develop guidelines for antipsychotic regulations has passed committee and is awaiting House and Senate votes once the full Legislature returns Wednesday for what’s known as the veto session.

“Hopefully as soon as you guys get back in full force, we can get that through,” Aaron Dunkel, deputy secretary of KDHE, told the Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight.

Dunkel said the advisory panel established by Senate Substitute for House Bill 2149 would meet quarterly and examine issues like the unusually high rate of antipsychotic medications prescribed to Kansas children on Medicaid. Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration formed its budget proposal under the assumption that the Legislature would allow for mental health drug regulation, which was estimated to save the state general fund about $8 million. Mental health advocates have expressed skepticism that the state will realize those savings.

 

Andy Marso is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.