Bill > SB646

This bill amends New Hampshire's mental health insurance coverage regulations to ensure that insurers provide benefits for certain biologically-based mental illnesses consistent with New Hampshire Medicaid's scope of coverage and reimbursement rates. The bill specifically requires insurance providers to cover nine mental health conditions as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, autism, and chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, among others. The legislation mandates that these mental health benefits be provided under the same terms and conditions as coverage for physical illnesses, and requires insurers to establish reimbursement terms for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services that are, on average, at least as favorable as those for non-hospital affiliated primary care providers. The bill also empowers the insurance commissioner to enforce the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, including requiring insurers to submit comparative analyses to ensure compliance. While the bill does not provide additional funding, it aims to standardize and potentially expand mental health treatment coverage across insurance plans in New Hampshire, with potential implications for insurance premiums and healthcare access.

Health and Social Services

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=1279&inflect=2