OIMHP advocates on behalf of all Oregon behavioral health professionals for:
- Robust enforcement of federal and state mental health parity laws in Oregon.
- Increased reimbursement rates for all behavioral health providers in keeping with parity.
- Reimbursement rates sufficient to build strong in network provider panels that improve access to behavioral health treatment.
- Insurance policies and procedures that do not discriminate against and stigmatize Oregonians with mental health conditions.

Why the need for OIMHP?
Federal and state laws require health insurance companies to treat behavioral health and medical/surgical services equally; however, true mental health parity remains elusive both in Oregon and nationwide.

Behavioral health professionals are often underpaid and overmanaged by health insurers compared to medical providers. While medical providers receive higher reimbursements and less interference in billing practices, behavioral health professionals face managed care policies and practices that restrict reimbursement and service delivery -- ultimately harming patients because these practices increase their costs and reduce access to care.

Behavioral health professionals typically work in private individual and group practices and lack access to attorneys and lobbyists to advocate on their behalf, unlike large medical providers and hospital systems. This disparity underscores the need for stronger legislative advocacy to enforce mental health parity laws. OIMHP has been at the forefront of this need. 

What has OIMHP accomplished?
With innovative concepts from data and policy mastermind Patrick Mooney, OIMHP authored  SB 860 (2017) and co-authored HB 3046 (2021) which were both signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. These laws exposed problematic practices by insurance companies that violated state and federal mental health parity laws and strengthened Oregon state regulatory oversight.

In 2021, OIMHP was invited to the HB 3046 Rulemaking Advisory Committee, sending practicing psychologist Melissa Todd to advocate on behalf of Oregon behavioral health professionals during the year-long, intensive rulemaking process. 

In 2025, OIMHP led the way in advocating for SB 824 and SB 822 which were both signed into law by Governor Tina Kotek. OIMHP was also invited to sit on the Rulemaking Advisory Committees for these bills, again sending Melissa Todd to counter attempts by insurers to weaken regulations and lend valuable input on how these laws are implemented.

Future Objectives
OIMHP is in the process of developing legislation to reform Oregon's laws on medical management, including audits and clawbacks. The 2026 Behavioral Health Protection Bill is designed to reduce power imbalances between insurers and behavioral health professionals, creating a more secure foundation for Oregonians to access affordable, in-network behavioral health care.

We believe people should be able to use their insurance to access behavioral health care and behavioral health providers should be treated fairly by insurance companies in accordance with state and federal laws.

We are OIMHP
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Patrick Mooney, PhD, Salem
Melissa Todd, PhD, Eugene
Anne Emmett, LCSW, Portland
Jessica Teigland, LPC, Salem
JL Wilson, Public Affairs Counsel