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Montana committee hears bipartisan support and insurer concerns for mandate to cover behavioral health screenings
Summary
Sen. Mike Yakawich’s SB244 would require insurers to cover behavioral-health screening assessments; health providers and advocates urged passage citing suicide-prevention benefits, while insurers proposed technical amendments to limit costs and preserve HSA eligibility.
Senator Mike Yakawich introduced Senate Bill 244 on behalf of a proposal he called the “Goodwill Behavioral Insurance Bill,” saying it would require health insurers to pay for behavioral-health screening assessments, including state employee group benefits. “It’s an act requiring health insurance to provide coverage for behavioral health screening assessments,” Yakawich said as he opened the hearing.
Supporters — hospitals, clinics and advocacy groups — told the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee that routine screening helps identify people at risk and that out-of-pocket charges deter follow-up care. JJ Carmody of Billings Clinic and Logan Health said Montana has "ranked in the top 5 for suicide rates in the nation for the past 30 years" and…
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