Requirement extension that health plan companies must credential and contract with certain providers of mental health services

A bill for an act

relating to health insurance; extending a requirement that health plan companies

must credential and contract with certain providers of mental health services;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 62Q.096.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 62Q.096, is amended to read:

62Q.096 CREDENTIALING OF PROVIDERS.

(a) If a health plan company has initially credentialed, as providers in its provider network,

individual providers employed by or under contract with an entity that:

(1) is authorized to bill under section
256B.0625, subdivision 5
;

(2) is a mental health clinic certified under section
245I.20
;

(3) is designated an essential community provider under section
62Q.19
; and

(4) is under contract with the health plan company to provide mental health services,

the health plan company must continue to credential at least the same number of providers

from that entity, as long as those providers meet the health plan company's credentialing

standards.

(b) In order to ensure timely access by patients to mental health services,
deleted text begin
between July

1, 2023, and June 30, 2025,
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a health plan company must credential and enter into a contract

for mental health services with any provider of mental health services that:

(1) meets the health plan company's credential requirements. For purposes of credentialing

under this paragraph, a health plan company may waive credentialing requirements that are

not directly related to quality of care in order to ensure patient access to providers from

underserved communities or to providers in rural areas;

(2) seeks to receive a credential from the health plan company;

(3) agrees to the health plan company's contract terms. The contract shall include payment

rates that are usual and customary for the services provided;

(4) is accepting new patients; and

(5) is not already under a contract with the health plan company under a separate tax

identification number or, if already under a contract with the health plan company, has

provided notice to the health plan company of termination of the existing contract.

(c) A health plan company shall not refuse to credential these providers on the grounds

that their provider network has:

(1) a sufficient number of providers of that type, including but not limited to the provider

types identified in paragraph (a); or

(2) a sufficient number of providers of mental health services in the aggregate.