Massachusetts Legislature passes child wellness legislation
Waltham Wicked Local / November 22, 2019
State Reps. Thomas M. Stanley and John J. Lawn, along with their colleagues in the House and Senate, passed legislation on Nov. 21 supporting the health and wellness of children across the commonwealth.
This bill aims to break down silos to better address the complex health and wellness needs specific to the commonwealth’s 1.4 million children. The effort seeks to create a foundation for better access to services and more data to inform future policy, while supporting a holistic approach to children’s wellbeing.
“This session, the House is prioritizing child and adolescent wellbeing, pursing polices that help them grow into healthy and productive adults,” said Stanley, D-Waltham. “This legislation will develop a comprehensive support system for our most vulnerable children, especially those in foster care or who face behavioral or complex medical issues.”
“I’d so proud of the Legislature’s efforts this week to expand access to behavior health services for our most vulnerable children in the commonwealth,” said Lawn, D-Watertown. “This comprehensive bill requires provider network directories to be more transparent and include accurate, up-to-date information to help connect children with the mental health providers that they need.”
The legislation seeks to address child wellness in the following eight areas:
• Secures health care benefits for foster children until the age of 26, making it easier for this vulnerable population to access MassHealth benefits they are entitled to at minimal cost to the commonwealth. It codifies the practice for Massachusetts in the event of change on the federal level to the Affordable Care Act.
• Requires insurance companies to maintain accurate and accessible provider directories for health plans. The provision directs companies to make the directories available without requiring users to create a new online account or profile. The directory must be updated frequently to ensure the information is correct. Insurance companies must take steps to make the directories user-friendly for individuals with disabilities and limited English proficiency. Establishes a task force to develop recommendations to ensure the accurate electronic posting of directories headed by the Commissioner of Insurance.
• Creates childhood behavioral health centers of excellence via a pilot program that designates three regional centers to act as clearinghouses to connect families, providers and educators to services and training opportunities. Requires the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to report on progress and impact after one year of implementation.
• Requires the Heath Policy Commission to conduct analysis within the next year of children with medical complexities to analyze costs and population characteristics of this group in order to develop recommendations about how to serve this unique population.
• Establishes a task force to study pediatric behavioral health screening tools.
• Creates a special commission to examine the pediatric workforce to address pediatric provider availability and adequacy. The commission would recommend strategies for increasing the pipeline of pediatric providers and expanding access to practicing providers.
• Charges a 17-member special commission to review school-based health centers for the purpose of strengthening, improving and considering ways to replicate best practices across the state.
• Creates a special commission chaired by the Child Advocate to review and make recommendations on mandated reporting to improve responses to child abuse and neglect.
The bill next goes to the governor.