Bill > H1963

This bill aims to promote high value and evidence-based behavioral health care in Massachusetts. It includes the following key provisions: 1. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services will coordinate an interagency statewide planning committee to annually study the need for behavioral health care services across the Commonwealth, including the availability of inpatient psychiatric units and Department of Mental Health beds. 2. The bill establishes a special commission to explore expanding access to specialty behavioral health inpatient beds for adults and youth, address funding for these beds, and make recommendations for a potential rate structure. 3. The bill requires Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to develop guidelines for the delivery of evidence-based behavioral health services, including 24/7 access to treatment and services, and to report on the percentage of total health care expenditures paid to behavioral health providers. 4. The Health Policy Commission is directed to conduct a study on the variation in the practice of behavioral health providers in the Commonwealth, and make recommendations for improving the availability of data and the measurement of behavioral health quality and outcomes. 5. The Department of Mental Health is required to establish clinical competencies and operational standards for licensed inpatient psychiatric facilities, including for specialty populations, and to prohibit facilities from refusing to admit patients who meet the general admission criteria. 6. The bill also includes provisions to address non-discriminatory treatment of patients presenting with mental health or substance use conditions in acute-care hospitals and satellite emergency facilities.