Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H984 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2336 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 984
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Marjorie C. Decker and Jeffrey N. Roy
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to access to care for serious mental illness.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/11/2023Jeffrey N. Roy10th Norfolk1/25/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/20/2023Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester2/28/2023Christopher J. Worrell5th Suffolk3/8/2023 1 of 4
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2336 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 984
18	18	By Representatives Decker of Cambridge and Roy of Franklin, a petition (accompanied by bill,
19	19	House, No. 984) of Marjorie C. Decker, Jeffrey N. Roy and others relative to access to
20	20	healthcare coverage for serious mental illness. Financial Services.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
24	24	(2023-2024)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act relative to access to care for serious mental illness.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 175 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
30	30	2section 47PP the following section:
31	31	3 Section 47QQ.
32	32	4 (a) Any policy, contract, agreement, plan or certificate of insurance issued, delivered or
33	33	5renewed within the commonwealth, which is considered creditable coverage under section 1 of
34	34	6chapter 118M, shall provide coverage for medications used to prevent, assess or treat serious
35	35	7mental illness without requiring prior authorization or the initiation or completion of a step
36	36	8therapy protocol.
37	37	9 (b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
38	38	10meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise: 2 of 4
39	39	11 "Serious mental illness" means a mental disorder, as defined in the most recent edition of
40	40	12the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American
41	41	13Psychiatric Association, that results in serious functional impairment that substantially interferes
42	42	14with or limits one or more major life activities.
43	43	15 SECTION 2. Chapter 176A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
44	44	16section 8QQ the following section:
45	45	17 Section 8RR.
46	46	18 (a) Any policy, contract, agreement, plan or certificate of insurance issued, delivered or
47	47	19renewed within the commonwealth, which is considered creditable coverage under section 1 of
48	48	20chapter 118M, shall provide coverage for medications used to prevent, assess or treat serious
49	49	21mental illness without requiring prior authorization or the initiation or completion of a step
50	50	22therapy protocol.
51	51	23 (b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
52	52	24meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
53	53	25 "Serious mental illness" means a mental disorder, as defined in the most recent edition of
54	54	26the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American
55	55	27Psychiatric Association, that results in serious functional impairment that substantially interferes
56	56	28with or limits one or more major life activities.
57	57	29 SECTION 3. Chapter 176B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
58	58	30section 4QQ the following section:
59	59	31 Section 4RR. 3 of 4
60	60	32 (a) Any policy, contract, agreement, plan or certificate of insurance issued, delivered or
61	61	33renewed within the commonwealth, which is considered creditable coverage under section 1 of
62	62	34chapter 118M, shall provide coverage for medications used to prevent, assess or treat serious
63	63	35mental illness without requiring prior authorization or the initiation or completion of a step
64	64	36therapy protocol.
65	65	37 (b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
66	66	38meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
67	67	39 "Serious mental illness" means a mental disorder, as defined in the most recent edition of
68	68	40the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American
69	69	41Psychiatric Association, that results in serious functional impairment that substantially interferes
70	70	42with or limits one or more major life activities.=
71	71	43 SECTION 4. Chapter 176G of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
72	72	44section 4I the following section:
73	73	45 Section 4J.
74	74	46 (a) Any policy, contract, agreement, plan or certificate of insurance issued, delivered or
75	75	47renewed within the commonwealth, which is considered creditable coverage under section 1 of
76	76	48chapter 118M, shall provide coverage for medications used to prevent, assess or treat serious
77	77	49mental illness without requiring prior authorization or the initiation or completion of a step
78	78	50therapy protocol.
79	79	51 (b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
80	80	52meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise: 4 of 4
81	81	53 "Serious mental illness" means a mental disorder, as defined in the most recent edition of
82	82	54the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American
83	83	55Psychiatric Association, that results in serious functional impairment that substantially interferes
84	84	56with or limits one or more major life activities.