HB1468 is a bill that the MPS Legislative Affairs Committee asked Dan Morhaim to file and get passed in the 2008 session.  The bill removes the statutory language that permits insurance companies to charge mental health consumers increasing copay amounts, based on how many visits they've had so far in the year.

The original legislation, passed around 1994 after two years of negotiations under the leadership of Scott Hagaman, was groundbreaking legislation that passed the first mental health parity insurance law in the country.  

HB1468 removes the discriminatory language (in blue brackets below) such that people pay the same copay for mental health visits that they pay for their other medical visits.

(iii) With respect to outpatient coverage, other than for inpatient or partial hospitalization services, benefits for covered expenses arising from services, including psychological and neuropsychological testing for diagnostic purposes, which are rendered to treat mental illness, emotional disorders, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse shall be at a rate which is, after the applicable deductible, not less than[: 

1.] 80 percent [for the first 5 visits in any calendar year or benefit period of not more than 12 months; 

2. 65 percent for the 6th through 30th visit in any calendar year or benefit period of not more than 12 months; and 

3. 50 percent for the 31st visit and any visit after the 31st visit in any calendar year or benefit period of not more than 12 months]. 

There will be a hearing in the House Health & Government Operations (HGO) Committee on Tuesday, March 18, 2008, in Annapolis.  Please consider sending a letter or calling your Delegate and ask them to sign on as a cosponsor for this bill.  If you know any patients who want to testify about this issue, let them know of the date.

[if you are a logged in member, see also post in Legislative Forum.]