The bill mandates the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to conduct a comparative analysis of the per diem payment rates for inpatient psychiatric hospitals and substance abuse treatment hospitals under the MassHealth program. This analysis will compare the rates provided by MassHealth Managed Care Entities (MCEs) to the MassHealth Fee for Service (FFS) rates. The bill specifies that MCEs, excluding Senior Care Options (SCO) and One Care, must adopt the MassHealth FFS rates as a minimum standard for their per diem payments.

The analysis will include detailed tables that outline the per diem rates for various age groups and service types, including adult and child inpatient psychiatric services, as well as specialty inpatient services for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and eating disorders. The current FFS rates are set at $954.59 for psychiatric hospitals and $908.35 for substance abuse treatment hospitals, with MCE rates varying significantly around these figures. The bill aims to ensure transparency and consistency in payment rates across different service providers within the MassHealth system.