Bill > HB1290

This bill establishes the Arkansas Support of Mental Health Wellness Examinations Act, which requires health benefit plans in Arkansas to provide annual standalone mental health wellness examinations at no cost to the insured, starting January 1, 2026. The bill defines a "mental health wellness examination" as a comprehensive assessment that includes behavioral health screenings, lifestyle consultations, referrals to mental health services, age-appropriate mental health history evaluations, and potential input from relevant adults. The legislation applies to various health insurers, including individual, group, and state-sponsored plans like Arkansas Medicaid, with some exceptions for specialized insurance plans such as dental-only or vision-only coverage. Mental health professionals authorized to conduct these examinations include physicians, psychologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, counselors, and other licensed mental health professionals. The bill mandates that these examinations must be covered with the same level of comprehensiveness as medical and surgical benefits, comply with federal mental health parity laws, and generally be provided without deductibles, copayments, or cost-sharing, with a narrow exception for certain tax-exempt health plans. The Insurance Commissioner, Department of Human Services, and State Board of Finance are tasked with developing rules to implement this new requirement.