Advocates for people with behavioral health needs told the Appropriations Committee on Feb. 14 that the governor’s budget would undercut the Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate created in 2023 by sharply cutting staff and consolidating funding into the Office of the Healthcare Advocate.

Thomas Burr, public policy manager for NAMI Connecticut, said the proposal in the governor’s budget would consolidate funding and staff for the Behavioral Health Advocate into the Office of the Healthcare Advocate and reduce funding from $876,000 to $258,000. Burr called that reduction "a bit of a slap in the face of the mental health community" and urged the committee to fund the office as spelled out in the enabling legislation. "We decry the delays in the creation of this position and request that this position be filled as written in Public Act 20 three‑one hundred and 1 as passed in 2023 and fully funded," he said.

Christian Damiano, public policy manager at Mental Health Connecticut and coordinator of the Connecticut Parity Coalition, said the governor’s proposal cuts the office’s funding by more than 70% and would eliminate three critical staff positions, leaving the advocate without an attorney and a patient care navigator. He said that enforcement of behavioral health parity laws remains a significant problem: "A recent Office of Health Strategy report revealed 4 of 7 major insurers in Connecticut exhibit federal warning signs of parity noncompliance."

Kathy Flaherty, executive director of Connecticut Legal Rights Project and member of the Keep the Promise Coalition, said the budget as proposed would leave the office with a single person instead of the four positions contemplated by the enabling statute and urged restoring funding to allow the office to meet its statutory responsibilities.

Why it matters: Witnesses said the Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate is essential to monitor parity compliance, receive complaints and refer suspected violations to the insurance commissioner. They argued that consolidating the office into OHA and cutting staff would reduce the state’s capacity to hold insurers accountable and to provide direct assistance to patients.

No formal committee actions were recorded during public testimony; witnesses asked the Appropriations Committee to restore funding to the FY 2025 level and to staff the office as described in the enabling law.