New legislation would increase reimbursement for mental health providers

Photo | Courtesy of State House News Service Sen. Julian Cyr and Senate President Karen Spilka

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By State House News Service

Legislation the Senate plans to take up next week is built around the idea that "mental health is just as important as a person's physical health," Sen. Julian Cyr said Tuesday.

Cyr, the Senate chair of the Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery Committee, said the bill would mandate coverage of an annual mental health wellness exam -- similar to an annual physical exam -- and provide new tools for enforcing existing mental health parity laws.

The bill "seeks to level the playing field for reimbursement for mental health providers by making sure they are reimbursed equitably for the same services," Cyr said.

According to a bill summary, its other measures include reforms to prior authorization requirements and the establishment of a state Office of Behavioral Health Promotion Steps to address the state's emergency department boarding crisis, where patients wait for days or longer in an emergency room until an inpatient psychiatric bed is available, are also envisioned under the legislation.

Those measures, Sen. Cindy Friedman said, include the use of American Rescue Plan Act funds to create an online portal to allow health care providers to search for and find open beds, and a requirement that all emergency departments have a qualified behavioral health clinician available during operating hours.

Under an order adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, amendments to the bill (S 2572) are due by Friday at 5 p.m. and the full Senate is set to consider the bill on Wednesday, Nov. 17.