CA AB 2233: Behavioral health treatment plans.

California AB 2233 amends existing requirements under the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, which provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes willful violations of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance.

Under existing law, health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies must provide coverage for behavioral health treatment for pervasive developmental disorder or autism. This treatment must be provided under a prescribed treatment plan reviewed no less than every 6 months by a qualified autism service provider.

AB 2233 would prohibit a health care service plan or health insurer from imposing restrictions on the utilization of authorized treatment hours within the treatment plan's 6-month authorization period. The bill would further require that authorized hours remain available for use throughout the entire authorization period.

Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would constitute a crime, the bill is classified as imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill provides that no state reimbursement to local agencies or school districts is required under this act. As of the latest action, the bill has been read for the first time in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Rules for assignment.