Maryland HB 1288: Maryland Insurance Administration - Workgroup on the Provision and Coverage of Behavioral Health Crisis Services

Bill Text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1288*

HOUSE BILL 1288
C3 7lr2876

By: Delegates Rosenberg, Angel, Cullison, Hayes, Hill, Kelly, Kipke, Morales,
Platt, and West
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2017
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Maryland Insurance Administration – Workgroup on the Provision and 2
Coverage of Behavioral Health Crisis Services 3

FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Insurance Administration to convene a 4
workgroup that includes certain individuals and interested stakeholders to identify 5
barriers to the provision of behavioral health crisis services and coverage of the 6
services by health insurance carriers; requiring the workgroup to identify barriers 7
to the provision and coverage of certain services and treatment; authorizing the 8
workgroup to examine certain issues; requiring the Administration to report certain 9
findings and recommendations of the workgroup to the General Assembly on or 10
before a certain date; and generally relating to a workgroup to identify barriers to 11
the provision and coverage of behavioral health crisis services. 12

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That: 14

(a) (1) The Maryland Insurance Administration shall convene a workgroup of 15
health insurance carrier representatives, community mental health and substance use 16
disorder providers, and other interested stakeholders to identify barriers to the provision 17
of behavioral health crisis services and coverage of the services by health insurance 18
carriers. 19

(2) The workgroup shall identify barriers to the provision and coverage of: 20

(i) residential crisis services as defined in § 15–840 of the Insurance 21
Article; 22

(ii) medically monitored inpatient withdrawal management as 23
defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine 3.7–WM level of care; 24

2 HOUSE BILL 1288

(iii) clinical crisis walk–in services; 1

(iv) mobile crisis team services; 2

(v) medication–assisted treatment; and 3

(vi) other relevant behavioral health crisis services. 4

(3) The workgroup may examine issues relating to: 5

(i) the credentialing of behavioral health crisis service providers; 6

(ii) reimbursement rates and how reimbursement is structured 7
under health benefit plans; 8

(iii) utilization review and medical necessity criteria; and 9

(iv) the adequacy of health insurance carrier provider networks to 10
meet the behavioral health needs of enrollees who are in crisis. 11

(b) On or before December 1, 2017, the Maryland Insurance Administration shall 12
report the findings and recommendations of the workgroup to the General Assembly in 13
accordance with § 2–1246 of the State Government Article. 14

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 15
1, 2017. 16