An Act preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Date | Branch | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8/2026 | House | Accompanied a new draft, see H4892↗ |
| 9/9/2025 | Joint | Hearing rescheduled to 09/09/2025 from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM in A-2 and Virtual — Hearing updated to New End Time |
| 9/3/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 09/09/2025 from 10:30 AM-1:00 PM in A-2 and virtual |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 2/27/2025 | House | Referred to the committee on Financial Services |
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J11 | Accompanied | — |
Section 1 of Chapter 176O of the Massachusetts general laws is hereby amended by inserting therein the following new definition: - “Serious mental illness,” any of the following conditions, as defined by the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: (1) Bipolar disorders, hypomanic, manic, depressive, and mixed. (2) Childhood and adolescent depression. (3) Major depressive disorders, single episode or recurrent. (4) Obsessive-compulsive disorders. (5) Paranoid personality disorder and other psychotic disorders. (6) Schizo-affective disorders, bipolar or depressive. (7) Schizophrenia. (8) Post-traumatic stress disorder.
Section 12A of said Chapter 176O is hereby further amended by inserting after subsection (g) the following new subsection:- (h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a carrier or utilization review organization shall not, with respect to a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of serious mental illness, impose a prior authorization requirement, step therapy protocol, or any other protocol that could restrict or delay the dispensing of the drug.
Section 8 of Chapter 118E of the Massachusetts general laws is hereby amended by inserting therein the following new definition: - i½. “Serious mental illness”, any of the following conditions, as defined by the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: (1) Bipolar disorders, hypomanic, manic, depressive, and mixed. (2) Childhood and adolescent depression. (3) Major depressive disorders, single episode or recurrent. (4) Obsessive-compulsive disorders. (5) Paranoid personality disorder and other psychotic disorders. (6) Schizo-affective disorders, bipolar or depressive. (7) Schizophrenia. (8) Post-traumatic stress disorder.
Section 51A of said chapter 118E is hereby further amended by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection: - (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the division or an entity with which the division contracts to provide or manage health insurance benefits shall not, with respect to a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of serious mental illness, impose a prior authorization requirement, step therapy protocol, or any other protocol that could restrict or delay the dispensing of the drug.
SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 176O of the Massachusetts general laws is hereby amended by inserting therein the following new definition: - “Serious mental illness,” any of the following conditions, as defined by the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: (1) Bipolar disorders, hypomanic, manic, depressive, and mixed. (2) Childhood and adolescent depression. (3) Major depressive disorders, single episode or recurrent. (4) Obsessive-compulsive disorders. (5) Paranoid personality disorder and other psychotic disorders. (6) Schizo-affective disorders, bipolar or depressive. (7) Schizophrenia. (8) Post-traumatic stress disorder. SECTION 2. Section 12A of said Chapter 176O is hereby further amended by inserting after subsection (g) the following new subsection:- (h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a carrier or utilization review organization shall not, with respect to a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of serious mental illness, impose a prior authorization requirement, step therapy protocol, or any other protocol that could restrict or delay the dispensing of the drug. SECTION 3. Section 8 of Chapter 118E of the Massachusetts general laws is hereby amended by inserting therein the following new definition: - i½. “Serious mental illness”, any of the following conditions, as defined by the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: (1) Bipolar disorders, hypomanic, manic, depressive, and mixed. (2) Childhood and adolescent depression. (3) Major depressive disorders, single episode or recurrent. (4) Obsessive-compulsive disorders. (5) Paranoid personality disorder and other psychotic disorders. (6) Schizo-affective disorders, bipolar or depressive. (7) Schizophrenia. (8) Post-traumatic stress disorder. SECTION 4. Section 51A of said chapter 118E is hereby further amended by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection: - (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the division or an entity with which the division contracts to provide or manage health insurance benefits shall not, with respect to a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of serious mental illness, impose a prior authorization requirement, step therapy protocol, or any other protocol that could restrict or delay the dispensing of the drug.