Amendment ID: S2519-64-R1

Redraft Amendment 64

Encouraging Acceptance of Insurance by Mental Health Providers

Messrs. Keenan, Timilty and Tarr, Ms. Gobi, Messrs. Welch, Feeney, Montigny and O'Connor move that the proposed new draft be amended by adding the following new section:-

SECTION X. Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, there shall be a special commission to study and make recommendations on increasing acceptance of commercial insurance and MassHealth by mental health providers.

The commission shall consist of the following members or their designees: the secretary of health and human services, who shall serve as chair; the commissioner of insurance; the assistant secretary for MassHealth; the executive director of the group insurance commission; the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on mental health, substance use, and recovery; and the following members to be appointed by the chair: 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Psychological Association, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the National Association of Social Workers, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Association for Behavioral Healthcare, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, Inc.; and 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Hospital Association.

The commission’s review shall include, but not be limited to: (i) creating aggregate demographic and geographic profiles of mental health provider acceptance of commercial insurance and MassHealth throughout the commonwealth; (ii) identifying barriers to mental health providers’ acceptance of commercial insurance and MassHealth, including but not limited to the impact of commercial and MassHealth reimbursement rates and administrative processes; (iii) identifying ways to encourage mental health providers to accept commercial insurance and MassHealth; (iii) the feasibility of requiring acceptance of commercial insurance and MassHealth as a condition of licensure for mental health providers; and (iv) other challenges of insured patients with a mental health disorder to accessing mental health outpatient services, including, but not limited to experiences of young people under the age of 22.

The commission shall submit its findings and recommendations, together with drafts of legislation or regulations necessary to carry those recommendations into effect, to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery not later than 1 year after the effective date of this act.