Protesters gather at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan headquarters after policy changes

The National Association of Social Workers organized a protest on Friday to oppose proposed policy changes that could reduce access to behavioral healthcare across Michigan.

Providers, students, clients and community members gathered outside the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan headquarters to urge the organization to pursue solutions that preserve access to care.

Starting in March, Blue Cross says provisionally licensed behavioral health providers will need to work through qualifying accredited settings to continue billing under a supervising provider.  

After their father died unexpectedly, Ashley Mosley says her four young daughters built a trusting relationship with a limited-license therapist.

"They have gone through so much, and they can't lose another person," said Mosley.

Now, she's worried changes at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan could disrupt that care.

"She sees them after-school hours in the evening. So, if we lose her, then it's going to be extremely harder to find someone that can work with our schedule," said Mosley.

Aaron Corte supervises new therapists and says the change could impact where they can work.

"There are tons of new grads coming out in the field, going, 'Where can I work?' And the only option is these facilities that have these bad reputations," said Corte.

Blue Cross says the change is about quality and safety.

The company says it reviewed 176 records, and 175 did not meet its basic standards for quality and documentation.

"The change is really intended to ensure that the premium dollars that we receive from our members for their insurance is being used to support care that is accountable, safe and effective," said Dr. Amy Milewski, vice president of clinical partnerships and interim chief medical officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. 

CBS News Detroit asked whether Blue Cross could guarantee no patient would lose access to their current provider.

"We are confident that we have access for our membership based upon our fully licensed provider network and the access standards that we are meeting," said Milewski.

Blue Cross says its network includes more than 22,000 fully licensed providers.

The company also says it has adjusted the policy after hearing from providers, including allowing more time for some practices working toward accreditation.