Lawmakers try to tackle the mental and emotional effects of California wildfires

Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times on Feb 21, 2025

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LOS ANGELES — Insurance providers in California would be required to reimburse patients who seek mental health care after a natural disaster under proposed legislation to address the emotional and mental trauma of wildfire victims.

The Eaton and Palisades fires starting on Jan. 7 burned through large swaths of Los Angeles County, destroying over 11,000 buildings, resulting in 29 deaths and around $30 billion in property damage. Experts and legislators anticipate that the devastation will likely leave lasting emotional and physical scars on residents whose lives were upended by the tragedies.

“As Angelenos continue to recover from the devastating firestorms, the Assembly is moving quickly to help and support residents, including with assistance for mental and behavioral health,” said Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister.

Assembly Bill 1032, authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian, D-Los Angeles, and supported by Rivas, would require healthcare service plans and insurers to reimburse eligible enrollees for up to 12 annual visits with a licensed behavioral health provider if they live in a county affected by a wildfire-related local or state emergency.

Harabedian said that legislators have put all of their focus on the “physical rebuilding” but “haven’t prioritized the mental health short-term and long-term effects” of the wildfires.

If the bill is passed and signed into law, the benefits will begin in 2026 and will be available for up to one year after an official state of emergency is lifted.

From Jan. 7 to Jan. 15, according to Harabedian’s office, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline experienced a fivefold increase in the number of calls associated with the Disaster Distress Helpline for the Los Angeles region. The predominant emotions callers reported included “fear, grief, and a real sense of uncertainty.”

Dr. Le Ondra Clark Harvey, chief executive of the California Behavioral Health Assn. and a supporter of the bill, said the physical symptoms someone might experience during and after a natural disaster could include fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, difficulty falling asleep, brain fog, inability to concentrate and flashbacks.

“Wildfires are not an anomaly for Southern California but the number of wildfires happening at the same time and the level of destruction was really catastrophic compared to wildfires I’ve seen in my lifetime,” she said. The “shock of it is more impactful” for residents in urban areas because they can be more “caught off guard.”

Researchers, according to a 2024 study by Nature Mental Health, examined the relationship between anxiety and wildfires and found an increase in emergency room visits for anxiety disorders after wildfire events in California and other parts of the Western U.S. from 2007 to 2018.

Among the most vulnerable populations during these disasters are children and older adults, Clark Harvey said, and she emphasized the need for continuous care.

“It’s important during this time people understand how to take care of themselves,” she said. “If you’re having anything out of the normal impacting your daily functioning in the wake of natural disasters do not wait, address it early.”