HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1026        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1351

 

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

1/14/2025

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

2/21/2025

Jennifer Balinsky Armini

8th Essex

2/11/2025

Tackey Chan

2nd Norfolk

4/11/2025

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

4/8/2025

Manny Cruz

7th Essex

2/26/2025

Leigh Davis

3rd Berkshire

3/31/2025

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

3/14/2025

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/10/2025

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

4/11/2025

William C. Galvin

6th Norfolk

2/25/2025

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

3/7/2025

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

2/10/2025

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

2/15/2025

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/11/2025

Christopher Hendricks

11th Bristol

2/10/2025

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

2/8/2025

Kevin G. Honan

17th Suffolk

2/25/2025

Vanna Howard

17th Middlesex

2/14/2025

Patrick Joseph Kearney

4th Plymouth

1/31/2025

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

3/4/2025

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

2/10/2025

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

2/5/2025

John J. Marsi

6th Worcester

2/13/2025

Edward R. Philips

8th Norfolk

4/8/2025

Adrianne Pusateri Ramos

14th Essex

3/6/2025

Danillo A. Sena

37th Middlesex

3/13/2025

Priscila S. Sousa

6th Middlesex

3/19/2025

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

3/4/2025

Steven Ultrino

33rd Middlesex

3/6/2025

Erika Uyterhoeven

27th Middlesex

2/19/2025

David T. Vieira

3rd Barnstable

5/16/2025

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

2/7/2025

Bud L. Williams

11th Hampden

2/11/2025


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1026        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1351

By Representative Barber of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1351) 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.  Health Care Financing.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 128 OF 2023-2024.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

 

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.