Bill > H4058

This bill proposes to expand access to mental health services in several ways: 1. It requires the state Group Insurance Commission to provide coverage for medically necessary mental health acute treatment, community-based acute treatment, and intensive community-based acute treatment without requiring preauthorization, while allowing the facility to notify the carrier of the admission and initial treatment plan within 3 business days. 2. It adds new definitions and categories of "licensed mental health professionals" who can provide evaluations and services, expanding the types of providers that can deliver mental health care. 3. It requires MassHealth and its contracted plans to cover the same types of mental health acute treatment without preauthorization, with similar notification requirements. 4. It makes changes to laws regarding admitting and transporting individuals for emergency psychiatric care, expanding the types of providers who can authorize this and setting parameters around restraint and seclusion. 5. It exempts certain community-based mobile integrated health programs focused on behavioral health services from application and registration fees. 6. It requires insurers to reimburse acute care hospitals for providing emergency behavioral health services, including via telemedicine, and prohibits them from requiring prior authorization for these services. The bill also establishes a task force to evaluate the financial stability of inpatient behavioral health facilities and the behavioral health workforce, and directs a study on a "behavioral health home hospital program" that would provide mental healthcare in a home setting.

Business and Industry, Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4058