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H 7939Health Insurance

Insurance - Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies

Expands mobile mental health crisis coverage to age 21, sets reimbursement minimums, and delays implementation to 2027.

Held for study
Population
Affected
25
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Health & Human Services

Plain-English Summary

This legislation modifies existing laws regarding health insurance coverage for mobile response and stabilization services used during acute mental health crises. The primary changes include raising the age eligibility for these services from 18 years old to 21 years old and younger. Additionally, the bill mandates that insurance providers reimburse certified providers at rates equal to or greater than the prevailing state Medicaid rate. It also adjusts the implementation date, requiring insurance plans to provide this coverage starting January 1, 2027, rather than the previously scheduled 2026 date.

For younger readers

This new rule helps young people who are having a very hard time with their feelings or mental health. Before, special helper teams could only come to help kids up to 18 years old. Now, this rule says they can help young people up to 21 years old. These teams come quickly to help calm things down. The rule also tells insurance companies (the businesses that pay for doctors) that they must pay for this help starting in the year 2027, and they must pay the helpers a fair amount of money for their work.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Young adults (ages 18-21)Health insurance companiesMental health service providersParents and familiesSchool systems
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Expands critical mental health support to young adults aged 19 to 21, a demographic often transitioning out of youth services and vulnerable to mental health crises.
  • Mandates that private insurers reimburse providers at rates equal to or higher than Medicaid, preventing corporations from underpaying mental health workers and ensuring better provider sustainability.
  • Promotes a non-carceral response to mental health emergencies by supporting mobile stabilization services, reducing the likelihood of police involvement or unnecessary hospitalization.
  • Delays the effective date of coverage mandates from 2026 to 2027, leaving a gap of time where vulnerable youth may not be guaranteed coverage for these services.
  • Relies on the private insurance market to deliver care, rather than establishing a universal public guarantee for mental health crisis services.
  • Limits the mandate to those 21 and younger, failing to extend these specific crisis intervention protections to the adult population.
For Conservatives
  • Delays the implementation of the mandate by one year, providing businesses and insurance carriers more time to adjust their financial models and contracts.
  • Utilizes the private sector to manage and deliver services rather than creating a new government-run agency or public employee workforce.
  • May reduce the burden on taxpayer-funded emergency services, such as police and municipal ambulance services, by diverting mental health calls to specialized providers.
  • Imposes government price controls on private businesses by dictating that insurers must pay reimbursement rates tied to Medicaid levels.
  • Increases regulations on the free market by mandating specific coverage requirements for insurance contracts, potentially driving up premiums for all policyholders.
  • Expands the scope of mandated health benefits to a larger adult population (up to age 21), which could be viewed as unnecessary government overreach into private contract terms.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 48 additions · 16 deletions

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 27-18-95 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-18 entitled "Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies" is hereby amended to read as follows: 27-18-95. Acute mental health crisis mobile response and stabilization services. [Effective January 1, 2026.]

(a) As used in this section, “mobile response and stabilization services” means a behavioral health crisis intervention system model providing immediate de-escalation, stabilization services, and follow-up care, provided by a certified provider. These services are delivered to provide rapid response to, assessment of, and early intervention for a child or youth eighteen (18) twenty-one

(21) years of age and younger experiencing an acute mental health crisis. Symptoms might include, but are not limited to:

(1) Aggression;

(2) Self-injury;

(3) Trauma;

(4) Acute depression/anxiety;

(5) Challenges at school; Suicidal or homicidal thoughts/behaviors; and

(6) Extreme parent/child conflict. Mobile response and stabilization services are provided by “certified providers” meaning licensed behavioral health organizations providing outpatient services, which have demonstrated expertise in delivering child-specific mobile response and stabilization services, and have obtained relevant state licensure or certification.

(b) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2026 2027, shall provide coverage for mobile response and stabilization services, consistent with the core components of the mobile crisis and stabilization model, and in accordance with the insurer’s existing reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting processes, provided any utilization review processes do not limit timely access or fidelity to the model.

(c) This section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:

(1) Hospital confinement indemnity;

(2) Disability income;

(3) Accident only;

(4) Long-term care;

(5) Medicare supplement;

(6) Limited benefit health;

(7) Specified disease indemnity;

(8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and

(9) Other limited benefit policies.

(d) Insurers shall reimburse certified providers for mobile response and stabilization services as defined in this section at rates of reimbursement equal to or greater than the prevailing integrated state Medicaid rate for mobile response and stabilization services on or after October 1, 2026 using the state Medicaid payment methodology as established by the executive office of health and human services.

SECTION 2. Section 27-19-87 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-19 entitled "Nonprofit Hospital Service Corporations" is hereby amended to read as follows: 27-19-87. Acute mental health crisis mobile response and stabilization services. [Effective January 1, 2026.]

(a) As used in this section, “mobile response and stabilization services” means a behavioral health crisis intervention system model providing immediate de-escalation, stabilization services, and follow-up care, provided by a certified provider. These services are delivered to provide rapid response to, assessment of, and early intervention for a child or youth eighteen (18) twenty-one

(21) years of age and younger experiencing an acute mental health crisis. Symptoms might include, but are not limited to:

(1) Aggression;

(2) Self-injury;

(3) Trauma;

(4) Acute depression/anxiety;

(5) Challenges at school; Suicidal or homicidal thoughts/behaviors; and

(6) Extreme parent/child conflict. Mobile response and stabilization services are provided by “certified providers” meaning licensed behavioral health organizations providing outpatient services, which have demonstrated expertise in delivering child-specific mobile response and stabilization services, and have obtained relevant state licensure or certification.

(b) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2026 2027, shall provide coverage for mobile response and stabilization services, consistent with the core components of the mobile crisis and stabilization model, and in accordance with the insurer’s existing reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting processes, provided any utilization review processes do not limit timely access or fidelity to the model.

(c) This section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:

(1) Hospital confinement indemnity;

(2) Disability income;

(3) Accident only;

(4) Long-term care;

(5) Medicare supplement;

(6) Limited benefit health;

(7) Specified disease indemnity;

(8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and

(9) Other limited benefit policies.

(d) Insurers shall reimburse certified providers for mobile response and stabilization services as defined in this section at rates of reimbursement equal to or greater than the prevailing integrated state Medicaid rate for mobile response and stabilization services on or after October 1, 2026 using the state Medicaid payment methodology as established by the executive office of health and human services.

SECTION 3. Section 27-20-83 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-20 entitled "Nonprofit Medical Service Corporations" is hereby amended to read as follows: 27-20-83. Acute mental health crisis mobile response and stabilization services. [Effective January 1, 2026.]

(a) As used in this section, “mobile response and stabilization services” means a behavioral health crisis intervention system model providing immediate de-escalation, stabilization services, and follow-up care, provided by a certified provider. These services are delivered to provide rapid response to, assessment of, and early intervention for a child or youth eighteen (18) twenty-one

(21) years of age and younger experiencing an acute mental health crisis. Symptoms might include, but are not limited to:

(1) Aggression;

(2) Self-injury;

(3) Trauma;

(4) Acute depression/anxiety;

(5) Challenges at school; Suicidal or homicidal thoughts/behaviors; and

(6) Extreme parent/child conflict. Mobile response and stabilization services are provided by “certified providers” meaning licensed behavioral health organizations providing outpatient services, which have demonstrated expertise in delivering child-specific mobile response and stabilization services, and have obtained relevant state licensure or certification.

(b) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2026 2027, shall provide coverage for mobile response and stabilization services, consistent with the core components of the mobile crisis and stabilization model, and in accordance with the insurer’s existing reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting processes, provided any utilization review processes do not limit timely access or fidelity to the model.

(c) This section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:

(1) Hospital confinement indemnity;

(2) Disability income;

(3) Accident only;

(4) Long-term care;

(5) Medicare supplement;

(6) Limited benefit health;

(7) Specified disease indemnity;

(8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and

(9) Other limited benefit policies.

(d) Insurers shall reimburse certified providers for mobile response and stabilization services as defined in this section at rates of reimbursement equal to or greater than the prevailing integrated state Medicaid rate for mobile response and stabilization services on or after October 1, 2026 using the state Medicaid payment methodology as established by the executive office of health and human services.

SECTION 4. Section 27-41-100 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-41 entitled "Health Maintenance Organizations" is hereby amended to read as follows: 27-41-100. Acute mental health crisis mobile response and stabilization services. [Effective January 1, 2026.]

(a) As used in this section, “mobile response and stabilization services” means a behavioral health crisis intervention system model providing immediate de-escalation, stabilization services, and follow-up care, provided by a certified provider. These services are delivered to provide rapid response to, assessment of, and early intervention for a child or youth eighteen (18) twenty-one

(21) years of age and younger experiencing an acute mental health crisis. Symptoms might include, but are not limited to:

(1) Aggression;

(2) Self-injury;

(3) Trauma;

(4) Acute depression/anxiety;

(5) Challenges at school; Suicidal or homicidal thoughts/behaviors; and

(6) Extreme parent/child conflict. Mobile response and stabilization services are provided by “certified providers” meaning licensed behavioral health organizations providing outpatient services, which have demonstrated expertise in delivering child-specific mobile response and stabilization services, and have obtained relevant state licensure or certification.

(b) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2026 2027, shall provide coverage for mobile response and stabilization services, consistent with the core components of the mobile crisis and stabilization model, and in accordance with the insurer’s existing reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting processes, provided any utilization review processes do not limit timely access or fidelity to the model.

(c) This section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:

(1) Hospital confinement indemnity;

(2) Disability income;

(3) Accident only;

(4) Long-term care;

(5) Medicare supplement;

(6) Limited benefit health;

(7) Specified disease indemnity;

(8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and

(9) Other limited benefit policies.

(d) Insurers shall reimburse certified providers for mobile response and stabilization services as defined in this section at rates of reimbursement equal to or greater than the prevailing integrated state Medicaid rate for mobile response and stabilization services on or after October 1, 2026 using the state Medicaid payment methodology as established by the executive office of health and human services.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.