North Carolina Statutes

Establishes that every LME/MCO shall adopt a community crisis services plan to facilitate first examination in conjunction with a health screening. All plans must: identify one or more facilities where a respondent must be taken for a first examination by a commitment examiner; identify persons designated to be responsible for transportation; and identify training for law enforcement personnel who provide custody of involuntary commitment individuals. This Act requires health screenings for individuals in crisis to rule out symptoms that may be mistaken for psychiatric conditions. Act further expands the workforce to allow nurse practitioners, licensed professional counselors, and physician assistants licensed to diagnose mental illness to conduct first examinations.

Enacted from Senate Bill 630 introduced during the General Assembly of North Carolina Session 2017.

Section 58-51-55(a) was rewritten to amend the definitions of mental illness and chemical dependency.
Does not require coverage for chemical dependency or sex changes.
Applies only to group health insurance contracts.

Amended by N.C. SB 676.

Section 58-67-75(a) was rewritten to amend the definitions of mental illness and chemical dependency.
Does not require coverage for chemical dependency or sex changes.
Applies only to group contracts.

Amended by N.C. SB 676.

Amended by N.C. SB 676.

Amended by N.C. SB 676.

A health benefit plans shall provide coverage for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder in accordance with the standards contained in Subtitle B of Title V of Public Law 110-343, known as the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, and the applicable regulations, as amended.

Amended by N.C. SB 676.

Establishes a statewide telepsychiatry program that allows referring sites to utilize consulting providers at a consultant site to provide timely psychiatric assessment and rapid initiation of treatment for patients at the referring site experiencing an acute mental health or substance abuse crisis.

Enacted by N.C. SB 402.

This bill changed the state law so that it now requires the health insurance plan for state employees and public school teachers to use deductibles, coinsurance, annual limits, and lifetime limits for behavioral health services that are the same as those used for other medical services.

Every insurer that writes a policy or contract of group or blanket health insurance or group or blanket accident and health insurance, shall offer to its insureds benefits for the necessary care and treatment of chemical dependency that are not less favorable than benefits for physical illness generally. Benefits for treatment of chemical dependency shall be subject to the same durational limits, dollar limits, deductibles, and coinsurance factors as are benefits for physical illness generally.
A group health benefit plan that covers both medical and surgical benefits and chemical dependency treatment benefits shall, with respect to the chemical dependency treatment benefits, comply with all applicable standards of Subtitle B of Title V of Public Law 110-343, known as the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Amended by N.C. HB 1183.

Every group insurance certificate or group subscriber contract under any hospital or medical plan, shall offer to its insureds benefits for the necessary care and treatment of chemical dependency that are not less favorable than benefits for physical illness generally. Benefits for chemical dependency shall be subject to the same durational limits, dollar limits, deductibles, and coinsurance factors as are benefits for physical illness generally.
A group health benefit plan that covers both medical and surgical benefits and chemical dependency treatment benefits shall, with respect to the chemical dependency treatment benefits, comply with all applicable standards of Subtitle B of Title V of Public Law 110-343, known as the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Amended by N.C. HB 1183.

Every health maintenance organization that writes a health care plan on a group basis, shall offer benefits for the necessary care and treatment of chemical dependency that are not less favorable than benefits under the health care plan generally. Benefits for chemical dependency shall be subject to the same durational limits, dollar limits, deductibles, and coinsurance factors as are benefits under the health care plan generally.
A group health benefit plan that covers both medical and surgical benefits and chemical dependency treatment benefits shall, with respect to the chemical dependency treatment benefits, comply with all applicable standards of Subtitle B of Title V of Public Law 110-343, known as the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Amended by N.C. HB 1183