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SB 3065

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

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jonathon Acosta and 9 co-sponsors

Rhode Island will require insurers to cover and reimburse mobile crisis response and stabilization for children up to 18, at or above Medicaid rates, starting 2026.

06/22/2026 Signed by Governor
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 3065

Summary of SB 3065 (Rhode Island, 2026)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill requires certain health insurance plans to cover acute mental health crisis mobile response and stabilization services for children and youth, and it sets minimum reimbursement rates for these services.
  • Aims to improve access to immediate crisis intervention, de-escalation, stabilization, and follow-up care for minors experiencing acute mental health crises.

Key provisions

  • Scope of services

    • Defines “mobile response and stabilization services” as a crisis intervention system delivering immediate de-escalation, stabilization, and follow-up care by a certified provider. Target population: children and youths age 18 and younger.
    • Services may include assessment, rapid response, and early intervention for crises such as aggression, self-injury, trauma, acute depression or anxiety, school-related issues, suicidal or homicidal thoughts/behaviors, and extreme parent/child conflict.
    • Providers must be licensed or certified behavioral health organizations with child-specific expertise.

  • Coverage requirements

    • Effective January 1, 2026, all individual or group health insurance contracts, or hospital/medical expense policies/plans delivered or renewed in Rhode Island must cover mobile response and stabilization services, consistent with the core components of the mobile crisis model.
    • Coverage must align with the insurer’s existing reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting processes, and not be limited by utilization review processes that would hinder timely access or fidelity to the model.
    • Exclusions: The bill lists specific coverage types that are not subject to this requirement, including hospital confinement indemnity, disability income, accident-only policies, long-term care, Medicare supplement, limited benefit health, specified disease indemnity, sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both, and other limited benefit policies.

  • Reimbursement rate

    • Insurers must reimburse certified providers at a rate equal to or greater than the prevailing state Medicaid rate for mobile response and stabilization services, effective October 1, 2026, using the Medicaid payment methodology as established by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS).

  • Revisions across multiple insurance contexts

    • The same mobile response and stabilization service coverage and reimbursement requirements apply in several Rhode Island insurance contexts:
    • Section 27-18 (Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies)
    • Section 27-19 (Nonprofit Hospital Service Corporations)
    • Section 27-20 (Nonprofit Medical Service Corporations)
    • Section 27-41 (Health Maintenance Organizations)

  • Effective date

    • The act takes effect upon passage.

Affected parties and impact

  • Affected insurers

    • Individual and group health insurers, nonprofit hospital service corporations, nonprofit medical service corporations, and health maintenance organizations operating in Rhode Island will need to:
    • Provide coverage for mobile response and stabilization services for eligible minors.
    • Align reimbursement practices with the state Medicaid rate for these services.

  • Providers

    • Certified mobile crisis providers (licensed behavioral health organizations) delivering child-specific mobile response and stabilization services will be eligible for reimbursement at or above the Medicaid rate, potentially improving financial sustainability and access.

  • Beneficiaries

    • Children and youths (up to age 18) who experience acute mental health crises will have more readily available crisis intervention, stabilization, and follow-up services through their insurance plans.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Legislative history
    • Introduced March 12, 2026; referred to Senate Health & Human Services.
    • Scheduled for consideration in May 2026.
  • Implementation milestones
    • Coverage and access requirements apply to policies delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.
    • Reimbursement rate parity with Medicaid is required starting October 1, 2026.

Why this matters

  • Addresses gaps in access to timely, specialized crisis services for minors.
  • Establishes a consistent, state-backed standard for reimbursement to incentivize providers to expand mobile crisis capacity.
  • Aligns state practice with contemporary models of crisis intervention and stabilization for youth mental health.

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

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