Bill > SB45

This bill aims to ensure mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) coverage in Alaska's Medicaid program is equivalent to coverage for medical and surgical benefits, a concept known as "mental health parity." The bill requires the Department of Health to comply with federal laws (26 U.S.C. 9812, 29 U.S.C. 1185a, and 42 U.S.C. 300gg-26) by implementing several key provisions. These include evaluating consumer and provider complaints about MH/SUD coverage, conducting compliance examinations of treatment limitations (such as prior authorization, network admission standards, and geographic restrictions), and performing comparative analyses to ensure that MH/SUD benefits are not more restrictive than medical and surgical benefits. The bill also mandates an annual report to the legislature detailing the department's processes for developing medical necessity criteria, identifying treatment limitations, and analyzing whether these limitations are applied comparably across different types of health benefits. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Health to submit amendments to the state Medicaid plan for federal approval and prepare a report by March 1, 2026, explaining their methodology for ensuring mental health parity, detailing market examinations, and describing any corrective actions taken. The bill's provisions will only take effect if the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services approves the proposed amendments by December 31, 2025.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/34?Root=SB45