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Senate committee approves bill to require parity for annual mental‑health wellness exams
Summary
The Senate Insurance & Commerce Committee voted to pass House Bill 1290, which would require insurers that cover an annual physical to also cover a once‑a‑year mental‑health wellness exam. The bill passed on a voice vote after sponsors said an amendment removed a premium impact and the Employee Benefits Division outlined cost‑sharing details.
The Senate Insurance & Commerce Committee advanced House Bill 1290, sponsored by State Senator Justin Boyd, which would require insurers that pay for an annual physical to provide parity by covering one annual mental‑health wellness exam.
Advocates and the bill sponsor framed the measure as a parity change. “What this bill does is it seeks to create parity between a mental health exam and a physical health exam,” Sen. Justin Boyd said when he introduced the bill.
The bill was amended before the committee; senators and staff said the amendment removed an anticipated effect on premiums. Grant Wallace, director of the Employee Benefits Division (EBD), told committee members that the amendment eliminated the previously listed physical impact and that there is “no impact to premium.” Wallace also explained how cost sharing would work under existing plan designs: “cost sharing would fall under your deductible, your co pay, coinsurance… So $25 office visit, that’s cost sharing. Your $500 deductible, that’s cost sharing.” He clarified that under the EBD’s current plan design a standard annual physical wellness visit carries a $0 copay, while a normal doctor visit generally carries a $25 copay and higher‑tier plans have different coinsurance rules.
Committee members pressed for details about who could deliver the exam and what scope it would cover. Boyle and staff read a list of provider types in the bill that would be eligible to perform the mental‑health wellness exam, including physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, licensed clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors and physician assistants. Senators also asked whether the bill requires coverage of follow‑on treatment; Boyd and staff said the bill would cover the initial wellness exam and referrals but does not itself mandate ongoing treatment.
Some members expressed philosophical and fiscal concerns. One senator warned that repeated mandates can shift costs to businesses and consumers and said lawmakers should be cautious about directing insurers what to cover. Boyd and other proponents countered that early intervention can reduce downstream social and health costs.
Motion and vote: Senator Boyd moved that the committee report the bill favorably; the motion was seconded by Senator Johnson and approved by voice vote. Committee minutes show no recorded roll‑call tally.
Why it matters: supporters say the bill creates parity between physical and mental preventive services and may increase early detection and referral for people with undiagnosed mental‑health needs. Opponents cautioned that mandates change market dynamics and can shift costs to employers and insureds.
The committee record does not show a floor date; proponents encouraged a favorable report to advance the measure to the next stage of consideration.
