HB 427: "An Act directing the Department of Health and Social Services to contract with a nonprofit group to perform certain activities relating to the provision of mental health services under the medical assistance program for persons under the age of 22; and providing for an effective date."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 427 01 "An Act directing the Department of Health and Social Services to contract 02 with a nonprofit group to perform certain activities relating to the provision of 03 mental health services under the medical assistance program for persons under 04 the age of 22; and providing for an effective date." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 47.07 is amended by adding a new section to read: 07 Sec. 47.07.052. Department to contract for certain services. (a) The 08 department shall contract with a qualified entity to administer, under the ultimate 09 responsibility and control of the department, a single-entry service delivery system for 10 the provision of mental health services under this chapter to persons under the age of 11 22. The system must serve all persons under the age of 22 who begin to receive 12 mental health services under this chapter after the contract takes effect. The contract 13 must include 14 (1) requirements for reporting outcome and demographic data on a
01 quarterly basis to the department; 02 (2) a requirement that the contractor have employees in the state to 03 implement the system after the contract takes effect. 04 (b) The system must include 05 (1) a prior authorization process for mental health services; 06 (2) provisions for on-site quality assurance review of mental health 07 providers; and 08 (3) at least three places in the state, spread out geographically, where 09 persons needing mental health services can access the system. 10 (c) The system must include, in the areas of the state where the department 11 determines it is feasible, 12 (1) assessments of the mental health needs of the person being served; 13 (2) referrals to mental health providers; 14 (3) advocacy services on behalf of the person being served; and 15 (4) coordination of the provision of mental health services. 16 (d) In this section, 17 (1) "nonprofit organization" means a nonprofit corporation, association, 18 club, or society organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, 19 or educational purposes or for the promotion of social welfare and that the Internal 20 Revenue Service has determined to be a tax exempt organization under 26 U.S.C. 21 501(c)(3) (Internal Revenue Code); 22 (2) "qualified entity" means a nonprofit corporation organized under 23 AS 10.20 that is not a direct provider of mental health services or a nonprofit 24 organization that is not a direct provider of mental health services; 25 (3) "system" means the single-entry service delivery system required 26 under (a) of this section. 27 * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect 180 days after this bill becomes law.