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 must lack private or public health insurance that covers mental illness or substance use disorder treatment. Instead, the focus is on their total household income, which must not exceed 200% of the federal poverty level.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that when a behavioral health center submits a claim, the Department of Health must process it as it did before the behavioral health redesign, ensuring that providers continue to bill private insurance and other liable parties first. The department is also tasked with using 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:
24LSO-0116 v0.6: 35-1-613