ENROLLED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 248
BY REPRESENTATIVE SELDERS
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to form a group to study
reimbursement rates for outpatient behavioral health services as they relate to other
southern states and to report its findings by February 1, 2024.
WHEREAS, according to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Medicaid
enrollees are enrolled in one of five managed care organizations (MCO); and
WHEREAS, Medicaid has the primary responsibility to oversee the MCO contracts
while the office of behavioral health of LDH is responsible for the portions of the contracts
that relate to behavioral health; and
WHEREAS, according to LDH, Mental Health Rehabilitation (MHR) services are
available throughout the state and offered by approximately three hundred twenty-five
providers; and
WHEREAS, MHR services consist of community psychiatric supportive treatment,
psychosocial rehabilitation, and many other treatment methods; and
WHEREAS, all MHR providers are required to be licensed by the health standards
section of LDH, be accredited, and meet other LDH requirements in order to contract with
one or more MCOs; and
WHEREAS, MHR services are often delivered in combination with outpatient
services and employ a variety of licensed and unlicensed staff; and
WHEREAS, the primary goal of such treatment is recovery and to lower emergency
room utilization, inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, and institutional care; and
WHEREAS, the MCO must make a determination of whether the member meets
medical necessity standards, and the eligibility process includes provider referral and
authorization of services; and
Page 1 of 3 HR NO. 248 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, additionally, MHR services require prior authorization, and the length
of the authorization may vary from two to six months, depending on the MCO; and
WHEREAS, all enrollees must have a treatment plan submitted to the enrollee's
MCO no later than thirty days after the initial prior authorization; and
WHEREAS, to address behavioral health services in this state, the Legislature of
Louisiana passed Senate Bill No. 213 of the 2022 Regular Session; Governor John Bel
Edwards signed the instrument, and it became Act No. 503; and
WHEREAS, Act No. 503 affects behavioral health service providers who provide
community psychiatric support and treatment services or psychosocial rehabilitation services
to Medicaid enrollees; and
WHEREAS, in an effort to gauge the success of the legislation, the office of
behavioral health planned a regional tour of the state to meet with MHR providers regarding
Act No. 503; and
WHEREAS, it is important to assess the service reports for providers who offer care
to individuals with more complex behavioral health issues; and
WHEREAS, it is the duty of the Legislature of Louisiana to urge LDH to study
alternative assessment tools to capture the needs of individuals affected by such mental
health issues and to ensure that a study is conducted on the reimbursement rates for
outpatient behavioral health services.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health
to form a group to study reimbursement rates for outpatient behavioral health services and
to report its findings.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study group shall consider the possibility of
using a standard method of assessment for all programs that serve individuals with such
behavioral health issues.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following individuals shall participate in the
study group:
(1) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee.
(2) The assistant secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health office of behavioral
health or his designee.
Page 2 of 3 HR NO. 248 ENROLLED
(3) The deputy assistant secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health office of
behavioral health or his designee.
(4) The executive director of the Louisiana Medicaid program or his designee.
(5) Eight designated service provider representatives to be determined by the
Louisiana Department of Health.
(6) The executive director of the Louisiana Rural Mental Health Alliance or his
designee.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that on or before February 1, 2024, the group shall
submit to the House Committee on Health and Welfare and the David R. Poynter Legislative
Research Library a written report of its findings and recommendations.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report shall include comparative rates for
outpatient behavioral health services from other southern states, which include but are not
limited to Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, the designated service provider
representatives to be determined by the Louisiana Department of Health, and the executive
director of the Louisiana Rural Mental Health Alliance.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Page 3 of 3