Insurance and Real Estate Committee
HOUSE FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-5248
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY HEALTH INSURANCE
Title: COVERAGE FOR PEER SUPPORT SERVICES IN THIS STATE.
Vote Date: 3/10/2020
Vote Action: Joint Favorable
PH Date: 2/27/2020
File No.:
Disclaimer: The following HOUSE FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
Insurance and Real Estate Committee
REASONS FOR BILL:
This bill will establish a task force to study health insurance coverage for peer support services in
this state.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
None Expressed
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Paul Acker, Senior Policy Advisor, Advocacy Unlimited supports the passage of HB-
5248. We ask that two of the ten seats on the task force be for persons with direct lived
experience providing peer support in mental health and/or addition services and that two
additional seats be offered to Advocacy Unlimited and CCAR (Connecticut Community for
Addiction Recovery) who train people to provide professional peer support. Without the vast
expertise and knowledge of people directly involved in peer support, any task force will fail to
capture the core essence of the profession. As many say in our movement, Nothing about us
without us. Peer support professionals must be involved in the design, implementation and
evaluation of such a huge shift in the system, as this directly affects their craft and the people
who choose to utilize their support.
Marcia DuFore, Executive Director, Amplify, Inc this is a topic of great concern to me and
one that our members identify as a top priority in all our needs assessments. But the opiate
epidemic has reached such proportions of late, that is hard for any of us to view the problem
from a distance a problem that does not touch someone we hold dear. That happened for
me several years ago. She explained in detail the hardship of a close family.
People lose out on recovery every day because they lack support at critical junctures for
treating this illness and moving on toward long term sustained recovery. We lose out because
some of these people die and those who love them suffer immensely. We lose out because
of the economic cost of repeated crisis care and the number of people who dont find
recovery and become productive citizens. We have a crisis. Please move this bill forward and
help us ensure that insurance coverage for mental health and addiction includes critically
needed peer support services.
Kathy Flaherty, Esq., Executive Director, CT Legal Rights Project, Inc. support HB 5248
and establish a task force to study health insurance coverage for peer support services in this
state. Peer-delivered services promote recovery. I would suggest that the task force also
examine coverage for peer support services under Medicaid. It is very important that the Task
Force include people from the various organizations who have been involved in training peer
providers of support services, including recovery support specialists and recovery coaches,
so my suggestion would be that the committee consider amending the bill to name specific
organizations to be included at the table.
Patricia Rehmer, Senior Vice President, Behavioral Health Network, Hartford
Healthcare We would encourage the committee to expand the charge of the group to look at
coverage under Medicaid and to ensure that peer support specialists are included in this
conversation. Should this bill move forward, we would welcome the opportunity to participate.
According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA), peer support workers are people who have been successful in the recovery
process who help others experiencing similar situations. Through shared understanding,
respect, and mutual empowerment, peer support workers help people become and stay
engaged in the recovery process and reduce the likelihood of relapse. Peer support services
can effectively extend the reach of treatment beyond the clinical setting into the everyday
environment of those seeking a successful, sustained recovery process. Peer support is an
evidence-based practice and is cost effective. HHC uses peer support specialists for a variety
of purposes, including long term follow up after discharge. Our peer support specialists must
complete a rigorous 80-hour course and pass a certification exam. Currently we are not
reimbursed for these services either under Medicaid or commercial insurance in Connecticut.
While these services should be available to more patients, we are concerned that if peer
support specialist services are covered by Medicaid or private insurance, they will be limited
to patients who meet their health plans medical necessity standards. Right now, providers
who offer this service may do so in cases where Medicaid or insurance is unlikely to
reimburse. This topic certainly merits further study and discussion and we agree with the task
force.
Ben Shaiken, Manager of Advocacy & Public Policy, CT Community Nonprofit Alliance
supports H.B. 5248, which would establish a task force to study health insurance coverage
for peer support services in Connecticut. Peer Support services are recovery-focused
services provided by specialists who have experience recovering from mental health or
substance abuse conditions. They are a crucial part of behavioral health treatment, and a
growing body of evidence and experience shows that peer support services are effective at
treating mental health conditions and helping people recover from addiction. Connecticut
does not require commercial insurance companies cover peer support services, even though
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they have been proven effective to help people recover from mental health and substance
abuse conditions. Connecticut also does now allow peer support services to be billed through
Medicaid, even though many other states do. While this important service should be available
to all Connecticuts residences, we acknowledge that there are several outstanding issues,
including how to certify Peer Support Specialists, that require more in-depth discussion and
analysis. That is why we support H.B. 5248, which would create a task force to determine the
best course of action.
The following individuals submitted testimony in support of this bill:
Ronald Abell Sally Arbott Anna Assad Annie Atwood Nicole Baier Aleska Bembnista
Rhiannon Benedetto Tammy Binnette Linda Bishop Michele Brabant Jennifer Bradshaw
Juliana Bregler Deborah Brown Colleen Buckle y Jennifer Cederberg Shah Chirayu Aprille
Coutss Sharon Dean Terri -Lynne DeFino Matt DeSimone Emily Dionne Traci Eburg Emily
Elander Melissa Florio Anna Marie Fraioli Allie Franco Donald Franco Heather Franklin
Cynthia Fusco Mihirkumar Gosrani Melissa Grandinetti Michael Grube Morgan Grube
Brianna Herbest DelVina Herbest Thomas Herr Cheryl Hill Julie Hulse Leah Hulse Alyssa
Kassimis Christopher Keller Jennifer Kelley Jennifer Kocenko Lynn Kovack Tracey Kurjiaka
Patrice Lago, RN EMT Sandra Lasher -Pelton Susan Leonard Tiffani Little Strongbow Lone
Eagle Mandi MacDonald Frank Manni Cassandra Marden Scott Martin Mariah Martirano Erin
Mccauley Ann Metzger Rebecca Miller Patrick Mitchell Anthony Morrissey Maddy Morrissey,
Heidi Norcross Michelle Palerno Amy Plude Elizabeth Poller Sachs Randi Hailey Ranson
Cathy Renzulli-Valente Ted Roman Terry Sachs Joy Scozzafava Alison Sherman Makayla
Showalter Melissa Silva Lone Eagle Sonny Melissa Storms Leanne Swanson Pinedo Nadine
Tannous Amanda Tarallo Tyler Ulisse Austin Ulisse Naomi Ulisse Casey Villa Miranda Villa
Sharon Villa Brittany Waldron Danielle Walker Donovan Ward Margaret Watt Lisa Winjum
Patricia Zelno
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
None Expressed
Reported by: Diane Kubeck Date: April 14, 2020
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