An Act establishing alternative models for behavioral health transport

This bill establishes five regional pilot programs across Massachusetts to test non-emergency transport options for behavioral health patients (e.g., mental health or substance use treatment), replacing ambulance use where appropriate. It requires MassHealth, insurers, and behavioral health providers to reimburse these alternative transport services for participants in the pilots. The Health Policy Commission must study the pilots’ effectiveness, measuring factors like transfer times, reduced stigma, cost-efficiency, and how reimbursement compares to traditional ambulance transport. The goal is to evaluate whether these models improve access and resource use before potentially expanding them statewide.