Amendment ID: S2769-9

Amendment 9

Equitable access to behavioral health services for MassHealth consumers

Messrs. Tran and O'Connor move that the proposed new draft be amended by inserting after SECTION 48 the following section:-

SECTION _. Section 12 of chapter 118E of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the ninth paragraph the following two paragraphs:-

The Division shall certify and ensure that all contracted accountable care organizations, contracted health insurers, health plans, health maintenance organizations, and behavioral health management firms and third party administrators under contract to a Medicaid managed care organization or primary care clinician plan provide comparable access to behavioral health services, benefits, and medications in providing medical assistance to recipients.

The Division shall obtain the approval of the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services for all behavioral health services, benefits, and medications, including but not limited to policies, protocols, standards, contract specifications, utilization review and utilization management criteria and outcome measurements, used by all contracted accountable care organizations, contracted insurers, health plans, health maintenance organizations, behavioral health management firms and third party administrators under contract to a Medicaid managed care organization or primary care clinician plan.