An Act to support behavioral health prevention for children
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill aims to expand access to preventative behavioral health services for children under 21 in Massachusetts. It mandates that health insurance plans, including those offered by the state and private insurers, cover at least six sessions of these services – which include short-term interventions like group or individual therapy – without requiring prior authorization. The bill also allows for the use of alternative diagnosis codes, such as Social Determinants of Health Z-codes, when billing for these services.
Key provisions
- Requires health insurance plans to cover at least six sessions of preventive behavioral health services for children under 21.
- Eliminates prior authorization requirements for these services.
- Allows the use of alternative diagnosis codes (Z-codes) when billing for preventive behavioral health services.
- Defines ‘preventive behavioral health services’ as short-term interventions focused on coping skills and strategies for mental health concerns.
- Covers individual, family, and group sessions delivered in various settings, including pediatric primary care and community-based locations.
- Specifies coverage for infants’ caregivers with postpartum depression screenings.
- Requires payers to accept alternative diagnosis codes.
Who is affected
- Children under 21
- Parents and caregivers of children
- Health insurance providers (private and state-sponsored)
Bill text
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Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
11 on record
Primary sponsor
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Cosponsors
David Allen Robertson
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