Bill > S2572

This bill aims to address barriers to mental health care by: - Establishing an online portal for health care providers, facilities, payers, and state agencies to access real-time data on children and adolescents awaiting mental health services or in the care of state agencies, and requiring quarterly reporting on this data. - Creating an Office of Behavioral Health Promotion within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to coordinate behavioral health promotion and wellness programs across state agencies. - Expanding reporting requirements for the Health Policy Commission and Division of Insurance to include data on behavioral health expenditures and parity compliance. - Amending the laws governing social workers, student health insurance, Medicaid, insurance providers, and the Board of Registration in Social Work to expand coverage and provider qualifications for mental health services. - Requiring acute-care hospitals to provide behavioral health clinicians in emergency departments to evaluate and stabilize patients with behavioral health presentations. - Establishing a complex case resolution panel to help resolve issues accessing services for children with complex behavioral health needs. - Enhancing oversight and reporting requirements related to mental health parity compliance for state agencies, Medicaid managed care organizations, and insurance carriers. The bill aims to improve access to and coordination of mental health services, especially for children and adolescents, and strengthen enforcement of mental health parity laws.

Senate Committee on Ways and Means (S)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2572