AZ HB2559

Requires health insurance plans issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027 to provide coverage for behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use disorder services.

Mandates insurers establish documented procedures to help subscribers access out-of-network behavioral health providers when in-network providers are unavailable within required timeframes.

Defines "timely manner" as within 30 days for routine appointments, referrals, and new treatments; within 7 days for residential care or hospitalization; and within 24 hours for urgent, emergent, or crisis services.

Requires insurers to arrange network exceptions with negotiated rates for out-of-network providers when in-network care is unavailable, limiting patient cost-sharing to in-network amounts (copayments, coinsurance, deductibles).

Applies to hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, health care services organizations, and disability insurers, requiring documentation of out-of-network payments to be made available to the Department within 20 days of request.