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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6643
January Session, 2023
LCO No. 4072
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT FOR MENTAL
HEALTH AND SUICIDE RISK ASSESSMENTS CONDUCTED AT
SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS AND INSURANCE COVERAGE
FOR THE PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS
EXAMINATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) The Commissioner of 1
Social Services shall provide Medicaid reimbursement, to the extent 2
permissible under federal law, for suicide risk assessments and other 3
mental health evaluations and services provided at a school-based 4
health center or at a public school. 5
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall amend the Medicaid 6
state plan if necessary to provide reimbursement for the suicide risk 7
assessments and mental health evaluations and services described in 8
subsection (a) of this section and shall set reimbursement at a level 9
adequate to ensure an adequate pool of providers for such suicide risk 10
assessments and mental health evaluations and services. 11
Sec. 2. Section 38a-488e of the general statutes is repealed and the 12 Raised Bill No. 6643
LCO No. 4072 2 of 5
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 13
(a) For the purposes of this section: 14
(1) "Licensed mental health professional" means: (A) A licensed 15
professional counselor or professional counselor, both as defined in 16
section 20-195aa; (B) a person who is under professional supervision, as 17
defined in section 20-195aa; (C) a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 18
370, who is certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry 19
and Neurology; (D) an advanced practice registered nurse licensed 20
pursuant to chapter 378, who is certified as a psychiatric and mental 21
health clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner by the American 22
Nurses Credentialing Center; (E) a psychologist licensed pursuant to 23
chapter 383; (F) a marital and family therapist licensed pursuant to 24
chapter 383a; (G) a licensed clinical social worker licensed pursuant to 25
chapter 383b; [or] (H) an alcohol and drug counselor licensed under 26
chapter 376b; or (I) a licensed master social worker licensed pursuant to 27
chapter 383b; and 28
(2) "Mental health wellness examination" means a screening or 29
assessment that seeks to identify any behavioral or mental health needs 30
and appropriate resources for treatment. The examination may include: 31
(A) Observation; (B) a behavioral health screening; (C) education and 32
consultation on healthy lifestyle changes; (D) referrals to ongoing 33
treatment, mental health services and other necessary supports; (E) 34
discussion of potential options for medication; (F) age-appropriate 35
screenings or observations to understand the mental health history, 36
personal history and mental or cognitive state of the person being 37
examined; and (G) if appropriate, relevant input from an adult through 38
screenings, interviews or questions. [;] 39
[(3) "Primary care provider" has the same meaning as provided in 40
section 19a-7o; and 41
(4) "Primary care" has the same meaning as provided in section 19a-42
7o.] 43 Raised Bill No. 6643
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(b) (1) Each individual health insurance policy providing coverage of 44
the type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-45
469 and delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued 46
in this state on or after January 1, 2023, (A) shall provide coverage for 47
two mental health wellness examinations per year that are performed 48
by a licensed mental health professional, [or primary care provider,] and 49
(B) shall not require prior authorization of such examinations. 50
(2) The mental health wellness examinations [: (A) May each be 51
provided by a primary care provider as part of a preventive visit; and 52
(B)] shall be covered with no patient [cost-sharing] cost sharing. 53
(c) The provisions of this section shall apply to a high deductible 54
health plan, as that term is used in subsection (f) of section 38a-493, to 55
the maximum extent permitted by federal law, except if such plan is 56
used to establish a medical savings account or an Archer MSA pursuant 57
to Section 220 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from 58
time to time, or any subsequent corresponding Internal Revenue Code 59
of the United States, as amended from time to time, or a health savings 60
account pursuant to Section 223 of said Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 61
as amended from time to time, the provisions of this section shall apply 62
to such plan to the maximum extent that (1) is permitted by federal law, 63
and (2) does not disqualify such account for the deduction allowed 64
under said Section 220 or 223, as applicable. 65
Sec. 3. Section 38a-514e of the general statutes is repealed and the 66
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 67
(a) For the purposes of this section: 68
(1) "Licensed mental health professional" means: (A) A licensed 69
professional counselor or professional counselor, as defined in section 70
20-195aa; (B) a person who is under professional supervision, as defined 71
in section 20-195aa; (C) a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 370, 72
who is certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and 73
Neurology; (D) an advanced practice registered nurse licensed pursuant 74
to chapter 378, who is certified as a psychiatric and mental health clinical 75 Raised Bill No. 6643
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nurse specialist or nurse practitioner by the American Nurses 76
Credentialing Center; (E) a psychologist licensed pursuant to chapter 77
383; (F) a marital and family therapist licensed pursuant to chapter 383a; 78
(G) a licensed clinical social worker licensed pursuant to chapter 383b; 79
[or] (H) an alcohol and drug counselor licensed under chapter 376b; or 80
(I) a licensed master social worker licensed pursuant to chapter 383b; 81
and 82
(2) "Mental health wellness examination" means a screening or 83
assessment that seeks to identify any behavioral or mental health needs 84
and appropriate resources for treatment. The examination may include: 85
(A) Observation; (B) a behavioral health screening; (C) education and 86
consultation on healthy lifestyle changes; (D) referrals to ongoing 87
treatment, mental health services and other necessary supports; (E) 88
discussion of potential options for medication; (F) age-appropriate 89
screenings or observations to understand the mental health history, 90
personal history and mental or cognitive state of the person being 91
examined; and (G) if appropriate, relevant input from an adult through 92
screenings, interviews or questions. [;] 93
[(3) "Primary care provider" has the same meaning as provided in 94
section 19a-7o; and 95
(4) "Primary care" has the same meaning as provided in section 19a-96
7o.] 97
(b) (1) Each group health insurance policy providing coverage of the 98
type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 99
and delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued in 100
this state on or after January 1, 2023, (A) shall provide coverage for two 101
mental health wellness examinations per year that are performed by a 102
licensed mental health professional, [or primary care provider,] and (B) 103
shall not require prior authorization of such examinations. 104
(2) The mental health wellness examinations [: (A) May each be 105
provided by a primary care provider as part of a preventive visit; and 106
(B)] shall be covered with no patient [cost-sharing] cost sharing. 107 Raised Bill No. 6643
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(c) The provisions of this section shall apply to a high deductible 108
health plan, as that term is used in subsection (f) of section 38a-520, to 109
the maximum extent permitted by federal law, except if such plan is 110
used to establish a medical savings account or an Archer MSA pursuant 111
to Section 220 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from 112
time to time, or any subsequent corresponding Internal Revenue Code 113
of the United States, as amended from time to time, or a health savings 114
account pursuant to Section 223 of said Internal Revenue Code, as 115
amended from time to time, the provisions of this section shall apply to 116
such plan to the maximum extent that (1) is permitted by federal law, 117
and (2) does not disqualify such account for the deduction allowed 118
under said Section 220 or 223, as applicable. 119
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2023 New section
Sec. 2 from passage 38a-488e
Sec. 3 from passage 38a-514e
Statement of Purpose:
To authorize Medicaid reimbursement for suicide risk assessments and
other mental health evaluations and services conducted at school-based
health centers and public schools, and to eliminate the requirement that
a mental health wellness examination be conducted by a primary care
provider for purposes of insurance coverage.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]