SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1513        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 590

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Cindy F. Friedman

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to require health care coverage for the emergency psychiatric services.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1513        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 590

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act to require health care coverage for the emergency psychiatric services.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 32A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 28. The commission shall provide to an active or retired employee of the commonwealth who is insured under the group insurance commission benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis for medically necessary emergency service programs, as defined in section 1 of chapter 175.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of chapter 175 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Domestic company”, in lines 14 and 15, the following definitions:-

“Emergency services programs”, all programs subject to contract between the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership and nonprofit organizations for the provision of community-based emergency psychiatric services, including behavioral health crisis assessment, intervention, and stabilization services 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, through four service components: mobile crisis intervention services for youth, mobile crisis intervention services for adults, emergency service provider community-based locations, and adult community crisis stabilization services.

SECTION 3. Said chapter 175 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 47BB the following section:-

Section 47CC. An individual policy of accident and sickness insurance issued under section 108 that provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance and any group blanket or general policy of accident and sickness insurance issued under section 110 that provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance, which is issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth, shall provide benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis for medically necessary emergency service programs, as defined in section 1 of chapter 175.

SECTION 4. Chapter 176A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 8KK the following section:-

Section 8LL. A contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an individual or group hospital service plan, which is issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth, shall provide benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis for medically necessary emergency service programs, as defined in section 1 of chapter 175.

SECTION 5. Chapter 176B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 4KK the following section:-

Section 4LL. A subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement, which is issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth, shall provide benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis for medically necessary emergency service programs, as defined in section 1 of chapter 175.

SECTION 6. Chapter 176G of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 4CC the following section:-

Section 4DD. A health maintenance contract issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth shall provide benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis for medically necessary emergency service programs, as defined in section 1 of chapter 175.

SECTION 7. Form filings implementing this act shall be subject to the approval of the commissioner of insurance.

SECTION 8. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2020.