AK SCR9

The Alaska Legislature recognizes the need for parity between mental health and substance use disorder benefits and medical/surgical benefits in the state's medical assistance program.

Current state regulations include six nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs) for mental health and substance use disorder benefits, such as service authorizations and time-based treatment plans, that do not apply to medical and surgical benefits.

State regulations for mental health and substance use disorder benefits consist of over 120 pages while medical and surgical benefit regulations consist of one page, creating undue administrative burden on providers and patients.

The Legislature urges the Department of Health to adopt regulations ensuring parity in mental health and substance use disorder medical assistance benefits to improve equitable access to care, streamline care coordination, reduce emergency room and correctional facility overuse, and maintain a stable behavioral health workforce.

Alaska's fee-for-service medical assistance plan is not federally required to meet Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requirements, but the Department of Health has regulatory authority to voluntarily meet or exceed these federal parity standards.