Bill > HB07207

This bill requires health insurance carriers to submit annual reports to the Insurance Commissioner detailing how they assess medical necessity and apply treatment limitations for mental health and substance use disorder benefits, with the goal of ensuring these limitations are no more restrictive than those for medical and surgical benefits. The reports must include comprehensive information about the carriers' decision-making processes, including a description of nonquantitative treatment limitations, the factors and evidentiary standards used in designing these limitations, and comparative analyses demonstrating that mental health benefits are treated equally to medical benefits. Significantly, the bill changes existing law to make these reports public records under the Freedom of Information Act, which means they can be accessed by the public. The reports will be submitted to the legislative insurance committee, Attorney General, Healthcare Advocate, and Commissioner of Health Strategy by April 15th each year. The Insurance Commissioner will also attend an annual public hearing to discuss whether health carriers have complied with mental health parity laws, including the federal Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. The bill includes protections to prevent disclosure of information that would violate existing confidentiality laws related to medical and health information. These provisions aim to increase transparency and ensure equal treatment of mental health benefits by insurance carriers.

Business and Industry, Government Affairs

Government Administration and Elections Committee (J)

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB07207&which_year=2025