Alaska’s mental health providers are seeking to reduce regulatory burdens on their industry as part of a broader state effort to streamline government regulations. Mental health advocates argue that excessive regulations contribute to a bottleneck of care in the state and make it significantly harder for Alaskans to access needed treatment services.
Barriers to Care Access
According to John Solomon, CEO of Alaska Behavioral Health Association, a trade group representing most behavioral health provider organizations in the state, administrative burden has been identified as one of the top three reasons providers cannot see more patients for the past three years. This persistent challenge has direct impacts on patient access to care. An executive order enacted in September by Governor Mike Dunleavy requires state divisions to reduce regulations by 25% by the end of 2027 and applies to all state divisions, offering a potential pathway for reform.
Specific Regulatory Barriers
Solomon cited specific examples of regulations that may be unnecessary, such as the requirement that treatment plans must be updated every 90 days. This often means patients must see two separate providers every three months just to continue long-term medications, creating inefficiencies that disrupt continuity of care. He noted that community behavioral health clinics face far more regulatory hurdles than medical clinics providing comparable care, with clinics sometimes required to follow seven pages of rules versus one page for the same service in a medical setting—an enormous disparity in regulatory burden.
Regulatory Reform Opportunities
While acknowledging that some regulations are important and necessary for ethical practice and patient safety, Solomon emphasized that behavioral health care historically evolved with more complex regulations in Alaska than other types of health care. This executive order provides an opportunity to align requirements and reduce unnecessary administrative barriers. The state accepted public comment suggestions for regulation cuts to behavioral health until October 31, offering providers and advocates the opportunity to formally propose specific regulatory changes.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://alaskapublic.org/news/health/2025-10-16/mental-health-providers-look-to-streamline-alaska-regulations-as-part-of-dunleavy-order