Committee recommends making behavioral-health no-cost-sharing policy permanent

The House Health & Human Services Committee voted 6–2 to give a due-pass recommendation to the committee substitute for Senate Bill 120, which would remove the sunset on the provision that eliminated patient cost sharing for behavioral-health services.

Senator Hickey, sponsor of the measure, told the committee the bill would make permanent a provision first enacted as part of the patient care fund in 2021 (previously referred to as SB 317) and argued that eliminating copays removes a barrier to care. "The cost is a barrier to seeking care, and this year we're investing tons of money into behavioral health," Hickey said. He cited data showing increased service uptake between 2023 and 2024 and close study by actuaries and IBACs that, in his view, do not project premium increases tied to the policy.

Brent Moore, a registered lobbyist for America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), testified in opposition. Moore said the recommendation to remove cost sharing permanently is "premature" and argued insurers had already embedded expected costs into premiums before the Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) analyzed the data. "We believe an appropriate approach is to extend the sunset date and look to the results of the studies," he said.

Witnesses supporting the measure included Ellen Pines of the Disability Coalition and Variana Nakeva, life and health division director at the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance. Nakeva told the committee the OSI has tracked savings and that "the law continues to work smoothly, and we urge your passage of this bill." Pines testified that out‑of‑pocket costs at point of service are barriers to appropriate care and that eliminating them facilitates access and lowers downstream costs.

Representative Jones asked whether making the change permanent would drive costs up; Hickey responded by citing a Milliman study and said stabilizing behavioral-health conditions reduces chronic-disease exacerbations that represent a large share of health costs.

Representative E. Chavez moved a due-pass recommendation; Representative Anaya seconded. The committee recorded a roll-call vote of 6 in favor and 2 opposed; the chair announced the motion passed by 6–2.

Committee discussion touched on why emergency department and urgent-care visits were removed from an earlier amendment; the sponsor said the change reflected mixed feedback and that some overseeing IBAC agencies already include those services in their calculations.

The committee’s due pass advances the bill to the next step; supporters framed it as a way to protect expanding behavioral-health programs from access barriers while opponents urged more time to study long-term premium impacts.