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Stakeholders report progress on FastForward coverage; subcommittee moves bill to interim study with monitoring
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Summary
Advocates and departments told the Commerce and Consumer Affairs subcommittee that recent stakeholder talks produced coding and single-case agreement options to get FastForward wraparound services billed to commercial insurers; the committee voted to move the bill to interim study while the commissioner monitors progress and submits regular updates.
Advocates for children's behavioral health urged the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs subcommittee to keep pressure on insurance carriers to cover FastForward, an evidence-based wraparound program that prevents higher-cost residential treatment.
Michelle Merritt, president of New Futures, said the FastForward model is proven to reduce progression to inpatient and residential care and that private insurers currently leave a coverage gap for tier-3 wraparound services. "This state funded the privately insured children with a $2,000,000 general fund appropriation a few years back, and we're looking to right-size who is paying that," Merritt said.
Jennifer Smith, legislative director at the Insurance Department, told members the commissioner convened carriers, providers and DHHS after a recent hearing and identified billing codes and single-case agreement approaches that could let providers begin billing insurers. The department described productive discussions and committed to close oversight: the commissioner said he would ask for weekly reports from parties and would meet biweekly to monitor progress if the committee put the bill in interim study.
Committee members debated whether to amend the bill to create carve-outs for insurers that negotiate network access or to send the bill to interim study with firm, documented milestones. Members who favored interim study said the recent conversations show promise and that the department's active monitoring could yield an administrative solution without immediate legislative action.
The subcommittee voted to place the bill on interim study and asked staff and the department to return with updates in the fall or sooner if single-case agreements or network arrangements are finalized.
