Bill > S657

This bill aims to provide continuity of care for mental health treatment. It does this by: 1. Defining a "continuing course of treatment" as having at least one visit in the past 4 months for the same or similar mental health diagnosis or symptoms. 2. Allowing an insured person engaged in a continuing course of treatment with a licensed mental health provider to continue treatment with that provider, even if the provider is involuntarily or voluntarily disenrolled from the insured's plan (except for quality or fraud reasons) or if the insured's carrier changes, placing the provider out-of-network. 3. Requiring the carrier to reimburse the out-of-network provider at the usual network rate, and only allowing the insured to pay a higher co-payment if it is justified by the increased costs of using an out-of-network provider. 4. Prohibiting the carrier from imposing any additional charges, costs, or deductibles on the insured for continuing treatment with the out-of-network provider, unless paid by the insured's employer or another party through an agreement with the carrier.

Business and Industry, Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S657