An Act improving access to community behavioral health centers

This bill requires health plans in Massachusetts to cover "behavioral health bundled services" provided by licensed community behavioral health centers (CBHCs) on a nondiscriminatory basis. It applies to Commonwealth employees (active/retired) and all insured individuals covered under group or individual health insurance policies, including hospital/surgical plans and health maintenance contracts. The law defines CBHCs as DPH-licensed clinics and specifies that covered services include mental health, developmental, and substance use disorder care delivered through a flat-rate billing model per encounter. The key mechanism ensures these services are treated equally with other medical benefits in insurance coverage.