This bill mandates the Wyoming Department of Health to pay claims for behavioral health services and to collect data regarding these payments. It amends the definition of "indigent general access clients" by removing the requirement that these individuals lack private or public health insurance for mental illness or substance use disorder treatment. Instead, it specifies that starting July 1, 2026, individuals with such insurance will no longer qualify as "indigent general access clients" if their household income does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty level.

Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Health to process claims from behavioral health centers as it did prior to the behavioral health redesign, ensuring that providers continue to bill private insurance and other liable parties first. The department is also tasked with utilizing its claims processing system to gather data on potential savings from enhanced third-party liability measures and must report these findings to the joint labor, health, and social services interim committee by September 1, 2025. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 35-1-613