WV HB4840

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) would be exempt from prior authorization requirements for behavioral health services across all insurance types in West Virginia.

The exemption applies to the Public Employees Insurance Agency, Bureau for Medical Services (Medicaid), and private health insurers regulated under multiple sections of state insurance code.

The bill amends seven sections of West Virginia Code (§5-16-7f, §9-5-32, §33-15-4s, §33-16-3dd, §33-24-7s, §33-25-8p, and §33-25a-8s) to implement the exemption uniformly.

Existing "gold card" prior authorization exemptions for practitioners with 90% approval ratings remain in place alongside the new FQHC behavioral health exemption.

The bill was introduced January 27, 2026, and referred to the House Committee on Health and Human Resources.