AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE STUDY ON ACCESS TO SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT FOR INSURED YOUTH AS THEY RELATE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) The Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Public Health and Children and Families shall jointly develop a proposal to establish an urgent care center for individuals with behavioral health concerns to be operated by both public and private entities. Said departments shall submit the proposal, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, human services and children not later than February 1, 2015.
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) The Department of Children and Families shall require each entity providing professional services for a child or youth receiving services under the voluntary services program operated by the department to record, for a three-month period to be prescribed by the department:
(1) The name of the insurance carrier, if applicable, of any such child or youth whose parent or legal guardian seeks treatment for such child or youth through a program offered by an in-home behavioral health care service, or the name of the parent or legal guardian's employer if the employer's health care plan is self-insured;
(2) (A) If such child or youth was accepted into the program, whether (i) the insurance carrier agreed to cover the treatment, and (ii) such child or youth participated in the program; or
(B) If such child or youth was not accepted into the program, (i) the cost of treatment for such child or youth, and (ii) whether the denial of coverage was due to exceeding the coverage limits of the insurance policy; and
(3) If such child or youth was accepted into the program and participated in such program, and the carrier agreed to such coverage, the terms of the cost-sharing agreement.
(b) Each entity providing professional services for a child or youth receiving services under the voluntary services program operated by the department shall submit the information recorded pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the department on a date to be prescribed by the department, provided such date is not later than February 1, 2015.
(c) The department shall analyze the information submitted by such entities pursuant to subsection (b) of this section to assess (1) the accessibility of in-home behavioral health care services to insured children or youth, (2) the extent to which costs of such services are shifted to the state and the state's contracted nonprofit service providers, and (3) if the department determines that the costs shifted to the state and such providers is excessive, methods to alleviate the burden on the state and such providers.
(d) The department shall report the results of its assessment, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to insurance, human services and children not later than April 1, 2015.
Sec. 3. (Effective from passage) (a) The Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Children and Families shall develop a substance abuse recovery support plan to provide services to adolescents and young adults throughout the state. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, (1) methods to increase community support for such adolescents and young adults, (2) methods to alert such adolescents and young adults that such support is available, and (3) options for the implementation of such plan, including securing access to public and private funding for such plan.
(b) The departments shall report, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, human services and public health on the status of the support plan not later than January 15, 2016.