Healthcare

Mental health and substance abuse disorders; network adequacy standards; comparative analyses; report; emergency regulations. Directs the Department of Health to issue regulations that include quantitative network adequacy standards for timely access to care, travel time, and geographical distance that are at least as stringent as those imposed for qualified health plans and qualified dental plans. The bill amends the definitions of "mental health services" and "substance abuse services" for the purposes of health insurance coverage. The bill requires health carriers to submit all comparative analyses prepared pursuant to federal law to the Bureau of Insurance on the date and frequency as specified by the Bureau and includes additional information to include in such submission. Under the bill, the Bureau may impose a penalty not to exceed $100,000 for a noncompliant or insufficient comparative analysis or require a carrier to remove, revise, or remedy noncompliant treatment limitations. The bill also amends the contents of the annual report submitted by the Bureau to the General Assembly to cover enforcement efforts with respect to the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.The bill authorizes the Bureau to promulgate regulations as necessary to implement the provisions of the bill and directs the Department of Health to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill directs the Department of Human Resource Management to evaluate the impact of the proposed changes to the provisions of the bill related to health insurance. The provisions of the bill related to health insurance have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 524.

Health insurance; coverage for standard fertility preservation procedures. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for standard fertility preservation procedures. The bill provides that "standard fertility preservation procedures" means procedures to preserve fertility that are consistent with established medical practices and professional guidelines published by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine or the American Society of Clinical Oncology for a person who has cancer, sickle cell disease, or other medical condition or is expected to undergo medication therapy, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or other medical treatment that is recognized by medical professionals to cause a risk of impairment to fertility.

Board of Medicine; office-based buprenorphine treatment; counseling. Directs the Board of Medicine to amend its regulations regarding office-based buprenorphine treatment to require providers to offer counseling or referral to counseling to each patient as clinically necessary and mutually agreed-upon. The bill specifies that a patient's refusal of counseling does not preclude the patient from receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is identical to HB 712.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; state plan for medical assistance; patient-initiated consultation; provider-to-provider consultation. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to modify state plan provisions covering provider-to-provider consultations to also include patient-generated consultations. The bill specifies that consultations provided through telemedicine services, including audio-only telemedicine services where applicable, shall be included in such provision. This bill was incorporated into HB 1284.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; remote monitoring services through pregnancy and postpartum for high-risk pregnant patients; reimbursement. Expands provision for payment of medical assistance for remote patient monitoring services provided via telemedicine to include high-risk pregnant persons through 12 months postpartum. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to assess expanding similar provision of payment for patients with advanced maternal age and submit a report of its findings to the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026.

Medical cannabis; administration to terminally ill patients; report. Directs the Department of Health to promulgate regulations specifying that hospital staff may store, dispense, and administer cannabis oil when a patient has valid certification and exempts such staff from criminal penalties for possession of cannabis oil. The bill directs the Department of Health to convene a work group to discuss the implementation process for providing cannabis products to patients in medical care facilities and report on its discussion to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2026. This bill incorporates HB 486. This bill is identical to SB 332.

Sickle cell disease education and screening program; cancer risk. Requires the sickle cell screening and treatment program to include the offering of educational resources to health care providers on the increased risks for certain cancers among individuals with sickle cell disease or the sickle cell trait.

Collaborative agreements; practitioners; diagnosis. Removes registered nurses from the list of practitioners whose diagnoses may form the basis of drug therapy conducted pursuant to a collaborative agreement between a practitioner and a pharmacist.

Joint Commission on Health Care; evaluation of workforce in Virginia nursing facilities. Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to evaluate the workforce in Virginia's nursing facilities and to develop recommendations on several topics outlined in the bill. The bill requires the Joint Commission to report its findings to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committees on Health and Human Services and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations by December 1, 2026.

Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; regulations; service providers; emergency medical simulations; cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Directs the Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to adopt regulations requiring certain providers to (i) conduct regular emergency medical simulations and train employees that regularly engage with people receiving services to prepare such employees to recognize and respond to situations where individuals receiving services require emergency medical treatment and (ii) require at least one employee trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation to be on duty at each location where services are delivered.