Bill > SB565

This bill requires health insurance providers, including the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), to ensure that reimbursement for mental health care provided by licensed practitioners such as psychologists, social workers, and professional counselors is equal to the reimbursement paid to licensed physicians for the same services in the same area, provided that claims are submitted with appropriate codes and provider information. This aims to achieve payment parity, meaning that these mental health services are compensated at the same rate as comparable medical services, preventing insurers from reducing physician reimbursement to meet this requirement. The bill also reinforces existing provisions that prohibit discrimination in the administration of health plans between medical-surgical and mental health benefits, ensuring that limitations on mental health care are no more restrictive than those on physical health care.

Health and Social Services

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=565&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill