HB0005 • 2024

Behavioral health redesign amendments.

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; requiring the department of health to pay behavioral health services claims as specified; requiring the department of health to collect information regarding payment of behavioral health services claims; requiring a report; amending definitions; providing a sunset date; and providing for an effective date.

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: Labor
Last action: 2024-02-12
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide a detailed summary text.

Behavioral Health Redesign Amendments

The bill requires the Department of Health to process claims for behavioral health services and collect information on potential savings from third-party liability measures, with a sunset clause after July 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Health to pay claims for behavioral health services in the same manner as before any redesigns were made.
Directs the Department of Health to gather information on potential savings from implementing additional third-party liability measures and report these findings by September 1, 2025.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Health
Behavioral health centers and providers

Terms To Know

Indigent general access clients: Individuals without private or public health insurance for mental illness or substance use disorder treatment, whose income is up to two hundred percent of the federal poverty level.
Third-party liability measures: Steps taken to ensure that other parties responsible for paying claims (like private insurers) are billed before state funds are used.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass and was introduced but failed on February 12, 2024.
It is unclear how the changes will affect people who lose their status as 'indigent general access clients' after July 1, 2026.

Bill History

2024-02-12 House
H Failed Introduction 40-21-1-0-0
2024-01-24 House
H Received for Introduction
2023-11-30 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

24LSO-0116
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0116
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0005

Behavioral health redesign amendments.

Sponsored by: Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; requiring the department of health to pay behavioral health services claims as specified; requiring the department of health to collect information regarding payment of behavioral health services claims; requiring a report; amending definitions; providing a sunset date; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 35
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1
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613(a)(xix), as amended by 2021 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 79, Section 1 and as amended by 2022 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 31, Section 1, is amended to read:

35
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1
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613.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(xix)

"Indigent general access clients" means persons
who do not have private or public health insurance that provides coverage for mental illness or substance use disorder treatment and
whose total household income is not more than two hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty level
.

After July 1, 2026 a person who has private or public health insurance that provides coverage for mental illness or substance use disorder treatment shall not qualify as "indigent general access clients"
;

Section 2.

If a behavioral health center sends the department of health a claim for behavioral health services, the department shall pay the claim in the same manner as it would have prior to the behavioral health redesign, recognizing that providers have been and will continue to be obligated contractually to bill private health insurance and other liable third parties before submitting claims to the state. The department shall utilize its claims processing system and data warehouse infrastructure to collect information on the potential magnitude of savings from implementing additional third party liability measures and shall report these findings to substantiate a recommendation on the design of a new third party liability system to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee not later than September 1, 2025.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2024
.

(END)

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HB0005