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HB 1030

MEDICAID: Provides relative to nonemergency medical transportation for individuals with mental illness (RE NO IMPACT See Note)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Annie Spell

HB 1030 sets a separate Medicaid reimbursement path for nonemergency transport by institutions for mental diseases to psychiatric care, not via NEMT brokers.

Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
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Bill Summary · HB 1030

Legislative Bill Summary – HB 1030 (Louisiana, 2026 Regular Session)

Overview

  • Bill: HB 1030
  • Sponsor: Rep. Annie Spell
  • Title: MEDICAID: Provides relative to nonemergency medical transportation for individuals with mental illness
  • Status: Engrossed; reported favorably (11-0) on 2026-04-14
  • Effective date: July 1, 2026
  • Jurisdiction: Louisiana

Purpose and Intent

HB 1030 creates a framework to reimburse nonemergency transportation specifically for Medicaid beneficiaries who require psychiatric services. It adds new definitions related to institutions for mental diseases (IMDs) and allows IMDs to furnish transportation to their own Medicaid patients for psychiatric care, with reimbursement under the Medicaid program. The measure aims to streamline and delineate financing for IMD-to-psychiatric-service transportation, separate from the general nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) brokerage system.

Key Provisions

New Definitions (R.S. 40:1257.1)

  • Institution for Mental Diseases (IMD): An institution for mental diseases as defined in federal regulations (42 CFR 435.1010 and 42 CFR 441.13).
  • IMD Psychiatric Service: Inpatient or outpatient psychiatric/behavioral health service covered by the state Medicaid program that aligns with the beneficiary’s treatment plan, including admissions or discharges from an IMD.
  • IMD Transportation Service: Nonemergency transportation provided by or through an IMD for its Medicaid beneficiaries who are patients or residents, to or from an IMD psychiatric service or related locations (including admission, discharge, residence, or originating facility).

Reimbursement and Payment (R.S. 40:1257.6)

  • Provider (IMD) Option: IMDs may provide IMD transportation using their own vehicles or via contracts with transportation providers for the purpose of serving their own Medicaid beneficiaries.
  • Reimbursement Mechanics:
    • Reimbursed at the same base and mileage rates and through the same payment method as other NEMT services under the Medicaid fee schedule in effect on the service date.
    • LDH must ensure IMD transportation services are payable on a fee-for-service basis when the beneficiary is eligible.
    • For beneficiaries enrolled in managed care or other capitated arrangements, each MCO must reimburse the IMD for IMD transportation at no less than the Medicaid fee schedule rate, with payment made directly to the IMD or its designee.
  • Exclusion from Brokerage Programs: IMD transportation is not required to be arranged, authorized, scheduled, dispatched, or paid through LDH’s NEMT brokerage program, Medicaid transportation broker, third-party administrator, or any successor entity administering NEMT brokerage services for the department or a MCO.
  • Compliance: Nothing in the section exempts IMDs, their agents, or drivers from applicable state and federal requirements.

Standards and Safety

  • LDH may establish minimum safety standards for IMD transportation, including vehicle safety, driver qualifications, insurance, record-keeping, and audit access, drawing on existing IMD licensure standards.

Scope and Limitations

  • Service Scope: IMD transportation is limited to transporting to or from IMD psychiatric services.
  • Non-Psychiatric Transportation: Transportation to non-psychiatric medical, dental, pharmacy, laboratory, imaging, or other non-IMD psychiatric services is not reimbursed under this provision.
  • Condition of Service: Transportation is not provided if the patient is not expected to receive inpatient or outpatient services from the IMD providing the transportation.

Who Is Affected

  • Beneficiaries: Medicaid beneficiaries who are patients or residents of an IMD and require psychiatric services (inpatient or outpatient).
  • Institutions: IMDs that provide psychiatric services and transportation to their own patients.
  • Managed Care Organizations (MCOs): Must reimburse IMDs for IMD transportation at or above the standard fee schedule rate and handle payments directly to IMDs or their designees.
  • Louisiana Department of Health (LDH): Responsible for defining standards, ensuring eligibility for fee-for-service reimbursement, and overseeing the framework (while not using the NEMT brokerage for IMD transportation).

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective Date: July 1, 2026.
  • Implementation: The bill contemplates the establishment of minimum patient-safety standards by LDH and defines the reimbursement pathway as of the service date. It does not retroactively modify existing NEMT contracts but creates a separate reimbursement pathway specifically for IMD-to-psychiatric services.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

  • May improve access to psychiatric services for IMD residents by ensuring dedicated reimbursement for transportation.
  • Creates a separate funding stream from LDH’s NEMT brokerage system for IMD transportation related to psychiatric care.
  • Could influence how MCOs contract with IMDs and how IMDs coordinate transportation for Medicaid beneficiaries.
  • Emphasizes safety and regulatory compliance through LDH-established standards.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law or draft a plain-language FAQ for stakeholders.

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

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