Summit County behavioral-health leaders: HB 177 fails, Medicaid postpartum coverage extended, MCOT funding restored

The Summit County Board of Health heard a legislative briefing on behavioral-health outcomes from Aaron Newman, the county’s behavioral health director.

Aaron said HB 177 — a bill that at one stage sought to relocate the state hospital and later became a systemwide analysis bill — did not advance out of the rules committee. "It did not," he said, calling the rules hold a "huge win" for local behavioral-health leaders.

Aaron highlighted several other session outcomes: the legislature expanded Medicaid postpartum coverage by an additional 365 days beyond the prior 60-day period ("It's now had an additional 365 days added to those 60"), preserved funding for drug-court testing levels, and allocated more than $3,000,000 for mobile crisis outreach teams (MCOTs). He said plans to fund three new rural receiving centers were pared back but Representative Lisonbee restored funding for one rural receiving center.

Board members pressed about bills that concerned behavioral-health practitioners. Aaron raised one measure that passed allowing licensed health-care providers who are also church leaders to provide conversion-therapy services to parishioners; he said most professional fields' ethical codes disallow conversion therapy and that the governor was “most likely gonna be vetoing this bill” based on information the county had received.

Aaron also discussed telehealth licensure reciprocity and steps to expand medically assisted treatment access in jails. He described ongoing coordination with county attorneys, sheriff associations and law-enforcement partners on justice‑involved behavioral-health initiatives.

Board members thanked Aaron for the overview and asked staff to monitor bills that could re-emerge during interim sessions.