The Massachusetts Senate passed a bill Tuesday afternoon that would increase access to drug and alcohol treatment.
The bill requires commercial insurance companies to cover 21 days of detox. Patients with Mass Health, the state’s Medicaid program, would get a bit less - 15 days.
State Senator Jennifer Flanagan chairs the special committee on drug addiction. She says people seeking treatment would no longer need to call their insurers for an OK.
“We want to make sure you’re able to get into treatment without the barriers of prior authorization,” Flanagan said.
There are other barriers, too. Flanagan says some people were denied treatment because they didn't have enough drugs in their system or they hadn't been addicts for long enough, or because their insurance just wouldn't cover it.
Lawmakers said they don’t have a sense of how much this legislation would end up costing taxpayers, or private insurers, who could pass on those costs to customers through premium hikes.
The bill now moves to the House.
