Bill > AB2551

This bill mandates that health care service plans and health insurers conduct annual surveys to gather data on enrollees' or insureds' experiences with behavioral health care, specifically focusing on the number of people seeking care from out-of-network providers, the total out-of-pocket costs for both in-network and out-of-network services, and the reasons for choosing out-of-network care, such as lack of access to affordable, timely, or culturally and linguistically responsive services. These surveys will be optional for individuals, and the collected data will be reported to state departments, which will then develop annual reports to highlight trends and disparities in behavioral health care access. Additionally, the bill requires various healing arts licensing boards to collect information from their licensees about whether they are contracted providers with health plans or insurers and the types of coverage they provide, which will aid in monitoring provider contracting trends. This legislation aims to address the current crisis in behavioral health care access by increasing transparency and understanding of the barriers Californians face when seeking mental health and substance use disorder treatment.