Gov Meyer Signs Mental Health Coverage Law, Securing Delaware as National Leader in Fair Mental Healthcare
Governor Matt Meyer has signed the Fair Standards in Mental Health Care Act. Senate Bill 22 will help to expand access to mental healthcare through comprehensive insurance reform. The measure will reduce unnecessary insurance delays and denials and strengthen protections for Delawareans seeking mental health and substance use care. This Act applies to all health insurance policies, contracts, or certificates issued, renewed, modified, altered, amended or reissued in this state after December 31, 2027.
Additional information from Gov. Meyer:
This measure requires transparent, gold-standard clinical standards for coverage decisions, and enforces rules that ensure mental healthcare is covered on par with physical healthcare. The comprehensive law strengthens protections against unfair insurance practices, improves coverage for emergency and out-of-network care, and limits unnecessary prior authorization requirements for all Delawareans, including children and families.
The bill’s enactment affirms Delaware as a national leader among a growing number of states codifying federal mental health coverage protections and holding insurance companies accountable for delivering the care they promise—not just on paper, but in practice. It is the culmination of years of collaboration between legislative champions, the Department of Insurance, and mental health advocates united around common sense reforms to improve access to care. The Fair Standards in Mental Health Care Act advanced with overwhelming bipartisan support throughout the legislative process, reflecting the broad agreement that Delaware families deserve mental healthcare that is easy to get and easy to afford.
“More than 165,000 Delawareans live with a mental health condition and 15,000 Delaware teenagers experience a major depressive episode each year. Every month, families pay insurance premiums and every month, they face delays, denials, and the looming threat of being forced to pay extraordinary costs for out-of-network care. The Fair Standards in Mental Health Care Act promises to put an end to these costly and unfair barriers to mental healthcare,” said Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, primary sponsor of the bill.
The legislation promises to hold insurers accountable for the coverage their customers are paying. Parents, families, providers, and advocates across Delaware have worked tirelessly sharing their stories, educating lawmakers, and organizing communities to protect and strengthen the enforcement standards established by federal law—standards that are currently facing rollbacks from Washington, D.C.
“With SB 22 signed into law, we’ve closed a dangerous gap in the mental healthcare protections that Delaware has spent the last decade building. Until now, our strongest protections only applied to a small number of mental illnesses, leaving the most common conditions without the same guarantees,” said Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, co-sponsor of the bill. “That meant most of the 165,000 Delawareans living with a mental health condition could be denied coverage until their manageable condition became an emergency, and for many, that’s already too late. SB 22 fixes that.”
“This is a major victory for Delaware families who have waited long enough for coverage that works,” said David Lloyd, Chief Policy Officer of Inseparable. “The Fair Standards in Mental Health Care Act exemplifies what we can achieve when advocates, families, and elected leaders from across the political spectrum work together. Thank you, Governor Meyer, Senator Majority Leader Townsend, and Speaker Minor-Brown for sponsoring this comprehensive bill and for being valuable partners and leaders throughout the process.”
“Today’s signing of SB 22 marks an important step toward ensuring that insurance coverage truly supports individuals seeking mental healthcare,” said Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro. “This legislation reflects months of dedicated work by our office, engaging carriers, listening closely to stakeholders across the state, and refining every detail to make sure it serves Delaware’s needs. And while getting the bill across the finish line took tremendous effort, implementing it is no small feat either. The Department of Insurance now carries the responsibility of turning this statute into real‑world protections. Since we first implemented Delaware’s Mental Health Parity Law, we have fined insurers $2.11 million and enforced many corrective actions. SB 22 speaks to even more issues uncovered in our investigations of carriers and allows us to address them. The teamwork, collaboration, and perseverance that brought this across the finish line made all the difference.”
The signing of the Fair Standards in Mental Health Care Act marks a monumental milestone for Care That’s Fair, Inseparable’s national campaign to end insurance practices that deny, delay, and limit access to mental healthcare. Inseparable will continue working alongside lawmakers, providers, and advocates to support implementation in Delaware while advancing similar reforms in states across the country.
About Inseparable
Inseparable is a national mental health advocacy organization founded on the principle that mental health is inseparable from physical health. Inseparable drives transformative change at the federal and state levels by engaging bipartisan policymakers, mobilizing support, and advancing mental health and substance use disorder policies that help people thrive. Inseparable works to expand access to care, promote youth mental health, improve crisis response, and strengthen the mental health workforce.