Substitute House Bill No. 7207 seeks to improve transparency in mental health and substance use disorder benefits by mandating that health carriers submit annual reports to the Insurance Commissioner. These reports will detail the processes for assessing medical necessity and any nonquantitative treatment limitations applied to mental health and substance use disorder benefits, alongside medical and surgical benefits. The bill requires that these reports include comprehensive analyses of the criteria used, ensuring comparability between the different types of benefits.

A significant change introduced by this bill is the repeal of Section 38a-477ee, which previously protected the identities of health carriers. The new provisions require the Insurance Commissioner to submit these reports to the General Assembly and other relevant authorities, making the reports public records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This shift aims to enhance accountability and compliance with mental health parity laws by allowing the public to access information about how health carriers manage these benefits. The bill is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
GAE Joint Favorable:
File No. 564: