Section 38a-477ee - Mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Nonquantitative treatment limitations. Reports. Public hearings. Regulations(a) For the purposes of this section: (1) "Health carrier" has the same meaning as provided in section 38a-1080;(2) "Mental health and substance use disorder benefits" means all benefits for the treatment of a mental health condition or a substance use disorder that (A) falls under one or more of the diagnostic categories listed in the chapter concerning mental disorders in the most recent edition of the International Classification of Diseases, or (B) is a mental disorder, as that term is defined in the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"; and(3) "Nonquantitative treatment limitation" means a limitation that cannot be expressed numerically but otherwise limits the scope or duration of a covered benefit.(b) Not later than March 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, each health carrier shall submit a report to the Insurance Commissioner, in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, containing the following information for the calendar year immediately preceding: (1) A description of the processes that such health carrier used to develop and select criteria to assess the medical necessity of (A) mental health and substance use disorder benefits, and (B) medical and surgical benefits;(2) A description of all nonquantitative treatment limitations that such health carrier applied to (A) mental health and substance use disorder benefits, and (B) medical and surgical benefits; and(3) The results of an analysis concerning the processes, strategies, evidentiary standards and other factors that such health carrier used in developing and applying the criteria described in subdivision (1) of this subsection and each nonquantitative treatment limitation described in subdivision (2) of this subsection, provided the commissioner shall not disclose such results in a manner that is likely to compromise the financial, competitive or proprietary nature of such results. The results of such analysis shall, at a minimum: (A) Disclose each factor that such health carrier considered, regardless of whether such health carrier rejected such factor, in (i) designing each nonquantitative treatment limitation described in subdivision (2) of this subsection, and (ii) determining whether to apply such nonquantitative treatment limitation;(B) Disclose any and all evidentiary standards, which standards may be qualitative or quantitative in nature, applied under a factor described in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, and, if no evidentiary standard is applied under such a factor, a clear description of such factor;(C) Provide the comparative analyses, including the results of such analyses, performed to determine that the processes and strategies used to design each nonquantitative treatment limitation, as written, and the processes and strategies used to apply such nonquantitative treatment limitation, as written, to mental health and substance use disorder benefits are comparable to, and applied no more stringently than, the processes and strategies used to design each nonquantitative treatment limitation, as written, and the processes and strategies used to apply such nonquantitative treatment limitation, as written, to medical and surgical benefits;(D) Provide the comparative analyses, including the results of such analyses, performed to determine that the processes and strategies used to apply each nonquantitative treatment limitation, in operation, to mental health and substance use disorder benefits are comparable to, and applied no more stringently than, the processes and strategies used to apply each nonquantitative treatment limitation, in operation, to medical and surgical benefits; and(E) Disclose information that, in the opinion of the Insurance Commissioner, is sufficient to demonstrate that such health carrier, consistent with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, P.L. 110-343, as amended from time to time, and regulations adopted thereunder, (i) applied each nonquantitative treatment limitation described in subdivision (2) of this subsection comparably, and not more stringently, to (I) mental health and substance use disorder benefits, and (II) medical and surgical benefits, and (ii) complied with (I) sections 38a-488c and 38a-514c, (II) sections 38a-488a and 38a-514, (III) sections 38a-510 and 38a-544, and (IV) the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, P.L. 110-343, as amended from time to time, and regulations adopted thereunder.(c)(1) Not later than April 15, 2021, and annually thereafter, the Insurance Commissioner shall submit each report that the commissioner received pursuant to subsection (b) of this section for the calendar year immediately preceding to: (A) The joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to insurance, in accordance with section 11-4a; and(B) The Attorney General, Healthcare Advocate and Commissioner of Health Strategy.(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, the commissioner shall not submit the name or identity of any health carrier or entity that has contracted with such health carrier, and such name or identity shall be given confidential treatment and not be made public by the commissioner.(d) Not later than May 15, 2021, and annually thereafter, the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to insurance may hold a public hearing concerning the reports that such committee received pursuant to subsection (c) of this section for the calendar year immediately preceding. The Insurance Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, shall attend the public hearing and inform the committee whether, in the commissioner's opinion, each health carrier, for the calendar year immediately preceding, (1) submitted a report pursuant to subsection (b) of this section that satisfies the requirements established in said subsection, and (2) complied with (A) sections 38a-488c and 38a-514c, (B) sections 38a-488a and 38a-514, (C) sections 38a-510 and 38a-544, and (D) the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, P.L. 110-343, as amended from time to time, and regulations adopted thereunder.(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any disclosure in violation of (1) 42 USC 290dd-2, as amended from time to time, (2) 42 USC 1320d et seq., as amended from time to time, (3) 42 CFR 2, as amended from time to time, and (4) 45 CFR 160.101 to 164.534, inclusive, as amended from time to time.(f) The Insurance Commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 38a-477ee
Amended by P.A. 24-0081,S. 232 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 5/30/2024.Added by P.A. 19-0159, S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2019 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2019.