Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB400 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0400
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 400
8	8	J4, J5, J1 4lr1592
9	9	CF SB 124
10	10	By: Delegates Woods, Alston, Guzzone, Harris, Henson, Hill, Ivey, S. Johnson,
11	11	Kaufman, Kerr, R. Lewis, J. Long, Martinez, McCaskill, Patterson,
12	12	Roberson, Roberts, Schmidt, Simmons, Simpson, Taveras, Taylor, Turner,
13	13	Valderrama, and White Holland
14	14	Introduced and read first time: January 18, 2024
15	15	Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
16	16
17	17	A BILL ENTITLED
18	18
19	19	AN ACT concerning 1
20	20
21	21	Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Health Insurance – Annual 2
22	22	Behavioral Health Wellness Visits – Coverage and Reimbursement 3
23	23
24	24	FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Medical Assistance Program and certain health 4
25	25	insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations to 5
26	26	provide coverage and certain reimbursement for annual behavioral health wellness 6
27	27	visits; and generally relating to coverage and reimbursement for behavioral health 7
28	28	care services. 8
29	29
30	30	BY adding to 9
31	31	Article – Health – General 10
32	32	Section 15–102.3(m) and 15–103(a)(2)(xxiv) 11
33	33	Annotated Code of Maryland 12
34	34	(2023 Replacement Volume) 13
35	35
36	36	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
37	37	Article – Health – General 15
38	38	Section 15–103(a)(1) 16
39	39	Annotated Code of Maryland 17
40	40	(2023 Replacement Volume) 18
41	41
42	42	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
43	43	Article – Health – General 20
44	44	Section 15–103(a)(2)(xxii) and (xxiii) 21
45	45	Annotated Code of Maryland 22
46	46	(2023 Replacement Volume) 23
47	47
48	48	BY adding to 24 2 HOUSE BILL 400
49	49
50	50
51	51	Article – Insurance 1
52	52	Section 15–861 2
53	53	Annotated Code of Maryland 3
54	54	(2017 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 4
55	55
56	56	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 5
57	57	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 6
58	58
59	59	Article – Health – General 7
60	60
61	61	15–102.3. 8
62	62
63	63	(M) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2025, THE PROVISIONS OF § 15–861 OF THE 9
64	64	INSURANCE ARTICLE APPLY TO MANA GED CARE ORGANIZATIO NS IN THE SAME 10
65	65	MANNER THEY APPLY TO CARRIERS. 11
66	66
67	67	15–103. 12
68	68
69	69	(a) (1) The Secretary shall administer the Maryland Medical Assistance 13
70	70	Program. 14
71	71
72	72	(2) The Program: 15
73	73
74	74	(xxii) Beginning on January 1, 2024, shall provide gender–affirming 16
75	75	treatment in accordance with § 15–151 of this subtitle; [and] 17
76	76
77	77	(xxiii) Beginning on July 1, 2025, shall provide, subject to the 18
78	78	limitations of the State budget, and as permitted by federal law, coverage for biomarker 19
79	79	testing in accordance with § 15–859 of the Insurance Article; AND 20
80	80
81	81	(XXIV) BEGINNING ON JULY 1, 2025, SHALL PROVIDE 21
82	82	COVERAGE FOR ANNUAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WE LLNESS VISITS IN THE MANNER 22
83	83	DESCRIBED IN § 15–861 OF THE INSURANCE ARTICLE. 23
84	84
85	85	Article – Insurance 24
86	86
87	87	15–861. 25
88	88
89	89	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 26
90	90	INDICATED. 27
91	91
92	92	(2) “BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WEL LNESS VISIT” MEANS A CLINICAL 28
93	93	ENCOUNTER DURING WHI CH A HEALTH CARE PRA CTITIONER CONDUCTS A N 29
94	94	ASSESSMENT TO IDENTI FY WHETHER A PATIENT MEETS CRITERIA FOR A 30
95	95	PSYCHIATRIC OR SUBST ANCE USE DISORDER . 31 HOUSE BILL 400 3
96	96
97	97
98	98
99	99	(3) “HEALTH CARE PRACTITIO NER” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL : 1
100	100
101	101	(I) WHO IS LICENSED , CERTIFIED, OR OTHERWISE AUTHORI ZED 2
102	102	UNDER THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE TO PRACTICE A HEALTH OCCUPATION ; 3
103	103	AND 4
104	104
105	105	(II) WHOSE SCOPE OF PRACT ICE INCLUDES THE PRO VISION OF 5
106	106	MENTAL HEALTH AND SU BSTANCE USE DISORDER CARE SERVICES . 6
107	107
108	108	(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO: 7
109	109
110	110	(1) INSURERS AND NONPROF IT HEALTH SERVICE PL ANS THAT 8
111	111	PROVIDE HOSPITAL , MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS 9
112	112	ON AN EXPENSE –INCURRED BASIS UNDER HEALTH INSURANCE POL ICIES OR 10
113	113	CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE; AND 11
114	114
115	115	(2) HEALTH MAINTENANCE O RGANIZATIONS THAT PR OVIDE 12
116	116	HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS UNDER 13
117	117	CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE. 14
118	118
119	119	(C) (1) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION SHALL P ROVIDE 15
120	120	COVERAGE FOR AN ANNU AL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WELLNESS VISIT , REGARDLESS 16
121	121	OF THE ASSESSMENT RE SULTING IN A BEHAVIO RAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS . 17
122	122
123	123	(2) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THI S SECTION SHALL PROV IDE 18
124	124	REIMBURSEMENT FOR AN ANNUAL BEHAVIORAL HE ALTH WELLNESS VISIT ON THE 19
125	125	SAME BASIS AND AT TH E SAME RATE AS AN AS SESSMENT THAT RESULT S IN A 20
126	126	BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DI AGNOSIS. 21
127	127
128	128	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That thi s Act shall apply to all 22
129	129	policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or 23
130	130	after January 1, 2025. 24
131	131
132	132	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
133	133	January 1, 2025. 26