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HB 7630

AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Edith Ajello and 9 co-sponsors

Rhode Island would require insurers to cover certified mobile response and stabilization services for minors during acute mental health crises, with reimbursement at or above Medic

06/22/2026 Signed by Governor
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Bill Summary · HB 7630

Overview

HB 7630 (Rhode Island, 2026) would require coverage and set reimbursement standards for acute mental health crisis mobile response and stabilization (MRS) services across several types of health insurance products and organizational structures. The bill targets rapid-response behavioral health interventions for children and youths 18 years and younger experiencing an acute mental health crisis, and it aligns reimbursement with state Medicaid rates.

Main purpose and intent

  • Ensure access to immediate, on-site behavioral health crisis intervention and stabilization for minors.
  • Establish that health insurers must cover certified mobile response and stabilization services as part of standard plans issued or renewed in Rhode Island beginning January 1, 2026.
  • Tie reimbursement rates to the prevailing state Medicaid rate, aiming to compensate providers adequately and promote timely access.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definition: “Mobile response and stabilization services” are crisis intervention services delivering rapid response, assessment, de-escalation, stabilization, and follow-up for children ≤18, provided by certified behavioral health providers with appropriate licensure or certification.
  • Covered plans: Applies to every individual or group health insurance contract, or hospital/medical expense policy, plan, or group policy delivered or renewed in Rhode Island on or after January 1, 2026.
  • Model fidelity: Coverage must support core mobile crisis components without allowing utilization reviews to impede timely access or fidelity to the model.
  • Exclusions: Coverage does not apply to several specific types of policies (e.g., hospital confinement indemnity, disability income, accident-only, long-term care, Medicare supplement, limited-benefit health, specified disease indemnity, sickness or bodily injury by accident or both, and other limited-benefit policies).
  • Reimbursement: Insurers must reimburse certified MRS providers at rates equal to or greater than the prevailing integrated state Medicaid rate for MRS, as established by the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) or its designated authority.
  • Provider types affected by the bill: The provisions apply across multiple insured product categories:
    • Health insurance contracts (including group policies)
    • Hospital or medical expense policies
    • Nonprofit Hospital Service Corporations
    • Nonprofit Medical Service Corporations
    • Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
  • Effective date: January 1, 2026 for all substantive provisions.
  • Administration and designation: Providers must be “certified,” i.e., licensed behavioral health organizations with demonstrated expertise in child-specific mobile crisis services, and designated by EOHHS for reimbursement purposes.

Who/what is affected

  • Minors and families: Improved access to crisis intervention and stabilization services during acute mental health crises.
  • Insurers and health plans: New coverage mandate for MRS services and adherence to the specified reimbursement framework.
  • Behavioral health providers: Certified mobile response and stabilization service providers eligible for Medicaid-rate-based reimbursement when serving insured clients.
  • Rhode Island state agencies: EOHHS designated to certify providers for reimbursement alignment with Medicaid rates.
  • Excluded policy types: Certain limited benefit or specialized coverage formats are not required to provide these services.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Legislative process: Introduced February 11, 2026; referred to House Health & Human Services; hearings and committee actions occurred with a timeline culminating in scheduled consideration in June 2026.
  • Effective timing: Provisions become effective upon passage, with all covered plans required to include MRS coverage by January 1, 2026 (retroactive alignment assumes language effectively means immediate implementation upon enactment).
  • Exemptions: Clear list of policy types excluded from coverage to limit scope (as noted under exclusions).

Potential impact and considerations

  • Access and equity: Standardized coverage for MRS services could improve timely access to crisis care and reduce escalation costs or unnecessary hospitalizations for youths.
  • Provider payments: Reimbursement at or above Medicaid rates may incentivize more providers to offer MRS services and maintain service quality.
  • Administrative burden: Insurers will need to align policies, credentialing, and contracts with the new requirements, including utilization review practices that do not hinder access.
  • Fiscal considerations: The bill implies increased insurer expenditures to meet Medicaid-rate reimbursement, with potential downstream effects on premiums or plan design, subject to implementation and negotiation.

If you’d like, I can tailor this into a one-page briefing for policymakers, a consumer-friendly FAQ, or a side-by-side comparison with existing Rhode Island mental health crisis coverage rules.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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