An Act to further define medical necessity determinations
H 4894 defines specific mental health treatment services - including acute inpatient care, crisis stabilization, and community-based options for children and adults - and eliminates preauthorization requirements for coverage. It directly affects Commonwealth employees (active and retired) under Group Insurance Commission plans and Medicaid beneficiaries. The bill mandates that facilities notify insurers within 48 hours of admission for all services, with utilization review permitted to begin after 7-10 days, while requiring medical necessity to be determined by the treating clinician and documented in the patient’s record. This streamlines access to critical mental health care by reducing administrative barriers for defined services.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 8, 2026
Last action Jul 31, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
5
Key actions
2
Committee
3
Jul 31, 2026
Committee
Committee recommended bill ought to pass and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
lower
Jan 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing
lower
Jan 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from the committee on Financial Services
lower
0 primary · 2 co-sponsors
Sponsors
No sponsor information available.
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