HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 376        FILED ON: 1/12/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 128

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Christine P. Barber

_________________

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 ensuring equal access to medical treatments essential for people with a developmental disability, intellectual disability, or autism.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

1/12/2023

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/12/2023

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/23/2023

Josh S. Cutler

6th Plymouth

1/26/2023

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

1/30/2023

Vanna Howard

17th Middlesex

1/30/2023

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

2/1/2023

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Norfolk

2/2/2023

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

2/2/2023

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

2/8/2023

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

2nd Berkshire

2/9/2023

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/11/2023

Frank A. Moran

17th Essex

2/16/2023

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

2/16/2023

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

2/16/2023

David Allen Robertson

19th Middlesex

2/16/2023

Adrianne Pusateri Ramos

14th Essex

2/18/2023

Jennifer Balinsky Armini

8th Essex

2/21/2023

Patrick Joseph Kearney

4th Plymouth

2/22/2023

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

2/22/2023

Patricia A. Duffy

5th Hampden

2/22/2023

Simon Cataldo

14th Middlesex

2/23/2023

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

2/23/2023

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

2/23/2023

Samantha Montaño

15th Suffolk

2/24/2023

Patrick M. O'Connor

First Plymouth and Norfolk

3/2/2023

Michelle L. Ciccolo

15th Middlesex

3/2/2023

William J. Driscoll, Jr.

7th Norfolk

3/6/2023

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

3/15/2023

Tackey Chan

2nd Norfolk

3/24/2023

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

4/1/2023

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

6/29/2023

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex

7/5/2023

Estela A. Reyes

4th Essex

10/19/2023

James C. Arena-DeRosa

8th Middlesex

10/23/2023

Edward R. Philips

8th Norfolk

10/23/2023

Patricia A. Haddad

5th Bristol

10/24/2023

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

10/25/2023

Margaret R. Scarsdale

1st Middlesex

10/26/2023

Tommy Vitolo

15th Norfolk

10/31/2023

Adrian C. Madaro

1st Suffolk

11/15/2023

Rodney M. Elliott

16th Middlesex

11/25/2023

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

12/7/2023

Erika Uyterhoeven

27th Middlesex

12/15/2023

Judith A. Garcia

11th Suffolk

12/21/2023

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

1/8/2024

Russell E. Holmes

6th Suffolk

3/6/2024


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 376        FILED ON: 1/12/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 128

By Representative Barber of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 128) of Christine P. Barber and others relative to ensuring equal access to medical treatments essential for people with a developmental disability, intellectual disability, or autism.  Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 184 OF 2021-2022.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act ensuring equal access to medical treatments essential for people with a developmental disability, intellectual disability, or autism.

 

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

Chapter 118E of General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition is hereby amended by inserting after section 62 the following section:-

Section 63. The Division shall cover the cost of habilitative and rehabilitative medically necessary treatments for individuals aged 21 and older who are receiving coverage under this chapter and who have been diagnosed with any of the following disorders as defined in the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM): developmental disability, an intellectual disability, or autism spectrum disorder. The diagnoses must be made by a licensed physician or a licensed psychologist who determines the care to be medically necessary. Treatments shall include, but shall not be limited to, applied behavior analysis provided or supervised by a licensed behavior analyst that is necessary to develop, maintain or restore, to the maximum extent practicable, the functioning of an individual. In addition, the Division shall cover the cost of both dedicated and non-dedicated augmentative and alternative communication devices, including, but not limited to, medically necessary tablets.