Bill > AB2511

This bill, titled the Behavioral Health Provider Comparable Worth Study Act, mandates that the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), in collaboration with several other state agencies including the Department of Managed Health Care and the Office of Health Care Affordability, conduct a comprehensive study to compare the compensation and reimbursement rates for behavioral health providers (such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists) with those of similarly qualified medical-surgical providers (like physicians and nurses providing physical health care). The study will analyze payments made directly by health care service plans and health insurers to providers, as well as payments made through intermediaries (like platforms or medical groups) and health systems, to identify any disparities. To facilitate this, health care service plans, health insurers, intermediaries, and health systems will be required to report specific payment and compensation data to the DIR, with penalties for non-compliance. The DIR will develop a methodology to determine which behavioral health and medical-surgical provider roles are comparable based on factors like education and licensure, and by January 1, 2028, the DIR will submit a report to the Legislature detailing the study's findings on compensation disparities, with all proprietary information protected and only aggregated data released to the public.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2511