Virginia Senate Bill 1301 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: Introduced on January 10 2023 - 25% progression, died in chamber
Action: 2023-02-06 - Passed by indefinitely in Commerce and Labor with letter (14-Y 0-N)
Text: Latest bill text (Prefiled) [HTML]

Managed care health insurance plan licensees; network adequacy for mental health care services. Requires each managed care health insurance plan licensee (licensee) to (i) provide a sufficient number and mix of services, specialists, and practice sites to meet covered persons' mental health care needs; (ii) ensure that covered persons have telephone access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to responsible and knowledgeable mental health care practitioners capable of assessing the covered persons' conditions and, as necessary, providing for appropriate services; and (iii) incorporate strategies into its access procedures to facilitate utilization of the licensee's mental health care services by covered persons with physical, mental, language, or cultural barriers. The bill requires a licensee to cover out-of-network mental health care services to a covered person if (a) the licensee does not have a mental health care provider within its network capable of providing mental health care services to the covered person; (b) the majority of the licensee's mental health care providers within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who have experience treating the general age group of a covered person are no longer accepting new patients or have wait-lists to receive care; or (c) the licensee does not have a mental health care provider within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who (1) has experience or expertise in treating patients who share the emotionally distressing experiences, defined in the bill, or demographics of the covered person seeking care and (2) is capable of providing care within the next 31 days. The bill provides that a licensee may require certain verification that the mental health care services are related to an emotionally distressing experience but is prohibited from requiring proof of a criminal proceeding. Managed care health insurance plan licensees; network adequacy for mental health care services. Requires each managed care health insurance plan licensee (licensee) to (i) provide a sufficient number and mix of services, specialists, and practice sites to meet covered persons' mental health care needs; (ii) ensure that covered persons have telephone access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to responsible and knowledgeable mental health care practitioners capable of assessing the covered persons' conditions and, as necessary, providing for appropriate services; and (iii) incorporate strategies into its access procedures to facilitate utilization of the licensee's mental health care services by covered persons with physical, mental, language, or cultural barriers. The bill requires a licensee to cover out-of-network mental health care services to a covered person if (a) the licensee does not have a mental health care provider within its network capable of providing mental health care services to the covered person; (b) the majority of the licensee's mental health care providers within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who have experience treating the general age group of a covered person are no longer accepting new patients or have wait-lists to receive care; or (c) the licensee does not have a mental health care provider within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who (1) has experience or expertise in treating patients who share the emotionally distressing experiences, defined in the bill, or demographics of the covered person seeking care and (2) is capable of providing care within the next 31 days. The bill provides that a licensee may require certain verification that the mental health care services are related to an emotionally distressing experience but is prohibited from requiring proof of a criminal proceeding. The bill requires a licensee, for any covered person seeking mental health care services that has self-harm or suicidal ideation, to cover any associated out-of-network care such that the covered person shall not be responsible for any additional costs incurred by the licensee for such services, other than any applicable copayment, coinsurance, or deductible. The bill requires a licensee to accept verification from the associated out-of-network provider that the mental health care services provided were related to the covered person's self-harm or suicidal ideation and prohibits a licensee from imposing any additional requirements to verify that the covered person was seeking care related to self-harm or suicidal ideation.

Managed care health insurance plan licensees; network adequacy for mental health care services.

Sen. Creigh Deeds [D]

Sen. Barbara Favola [D]

2023-02-06 - Senate - Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Commerce and Labor with letter (14-Y 0-N) (Y: 14 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2023-02-06	Senate	Passed by indefinitely in Commerce and Labor with letter (14-Y 0-N)
2023-01-10	Senate	Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
2023-01-10	Senate	Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/23 23104175D

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
32	1	137.2:1	(n/a)	See Bill Text

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+SB1301
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB1301+hil
Supplement	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+oth+SB1301F122+PDF
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+vot+S02V0083+SB1301