Support Behavioral Health Without Shifting Costs Onto Working People

Union members have been strong, vocal supporters of improving behavioral health services for construction workers. They’ve pushed to reduce stigma, expand access, and make sure every worker can get help when they need it. 

That commitment hasn’t changed - but House Bill 2720​ takes the wrong approach to dealing with behavioral health services for members of union-negotiated health plans. The bill creates a covered lives assessment — a new tax on every person enrolled in a Taft‑Hartley health plan. That means the very workers who already bargain for strong health coverage would be asked to pay even more, while many large employers who don’t provide comparable benefits would pay nothing.

Organized labor supports behavioral health services — and it wants those services to be funded sustainably. Taxing union health plans, however, is not a fair or effective solution. Workers shouldn’t be punished for having negotiated strong benefits.

Please take a moment to contact your legislators to share why this matters​. Your voice helps lawmakers understand that we can — and must — support behavioral health without shifting the cost onto working people.