Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana SB244: Revise laws related to health insurance coverage of behavioral health screening
Status: Chaptered, June 18, 2025
What the bill says
An act requiring health insurance to provide coverage for behavioral health screening and assessments; including the coverage in mandatory provisions of the state employee group benefit plans; providing that the behavioral health screening and assessments are optional and must be requested by the insured; requiring coverage for the assessments in disability insurance offered in the state, in health maintenance organizations, and in self-funded multiple welfare employment arrangements; amending sections 2-18-704, 33-31-111, and 33-35-306, mca…
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT REQUIRING HEALTH INSURANCE TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SCREENING AND ASSESSMENTS; INCLUDING THE COVERAGE IN MANDATORY PROVISIONS OF THE STATE EMPLOYEE GROUP BENEFIT PLANS; PROVIDING THAT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SCREENING AND ASSESSMENTS ARE OPTIONAL AND MUST BE REQUESTED BY THE INSURED; REQUIRING COVERAGE FOR THE ASSESSMENTS IN DISABILITY INSURANCE OFFERED IN THE STATE, IN HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, AND IN SELF-FUNDED MULTIPLE WELFARE EMPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS; AMENDING SECTIONS 2-18-704, 33-31-111, AND 33-35-306, MCA; AND PROVIDING A DELAYED EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY DATE. Section 1. Behavioral health screening and assessments -- coverage required. (1) An individual disability policy, certificate of insurance, or membership contract that is delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, extended, or modified in this state must provide coverage for optional behavioral health screenings and assessments rendered by a preferred provider as defined in 33-22-1703, that utilize a standardized, evidencebased instrument at no out-of-pocket cost to the insured or the subscriber. The insured must be informed that the behavioral health screening is optional and the insured may opt out of the behavioral health screening. (2) If, under federal law, application of subsection (1) would result in health savings account ineligibility under section 223 of the federal Internal Revenue Code, this requirement may apply only for health savings account-qualified high deductible health plans with respect to the deductible of …