INSURANCE: Required coverage for behavioral health crisis services (EN INCREASE EX See Note)
This bill requires health insurance companies in Louisiana to cover mobile crisis response and behavioral health crisis care services when provided by eligible licensed providers. The law mandates that these services do not need prior authorization from insurers and allows providers to coordinate with the state's Crisis Hub for information sharing. Coverage may include standard cost-sharing options like deductibles and copayments, while reimbursement methods remain up to each insurer's discretion. The bill defines these services as short-term, recovery-focused interventions for adults and children experiencing mental health or substance use crises, with an effective date of July 1, 2027.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Feb 27, 2026
Signed Jun 8, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB909 Original
→
HB909 Act 853
·
6 edits
MODERATE
This bill was amended to expand the list of sponsors and clarify the definitions of key terms regarding behavioral health crisis services. The changes ensure that health maintenance organizations and government plans are explicitly included as covered entities, and they refine the criteria for what constitutes a crisis intervention versus a walk-in center. Additionally, the effective date for these new coverage requirements was pushed back to July 1, 2027, providing more time for providers and insurers to prepare.
Scope change
The scope of coverage was expanded to explicitly include health maintenance organizations, nonfederal government plans, and the Office of Group Benefits, ensuring these entities must also cover the specified behavioral health services.
DEFINITION
Added specific sub-definitions for 'health insurance issuer' to explicitly include health maintenance organizations, nonfederal government plans, and the Office of Group Benefits.
Reorganized and clarified definitions for 'behavioral health crisis care' and 'mobile crisis response' to distinguish between initial emergency response and walk-in center operations.
REQUIREMENT
Added a new requirement for providers to submit a disposition and follow-up plan as part of the documentation needed for coverage.
Added a provision allowing health insurance issuers to determine their own reimbursement methods for these services.
TIMELINE
Changed the effective date of the Act from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2027.
ELIGIBILITY
Updated provider eligibility criteria to align with specific licensing statutes for mobile crisis response and behavioral health crisis care services.
Floor votes · Senate May 26, 2026 · House May 5, 2026
How they voted
34–0
Passed · 6 other
Total votes 40
May 26, 2026
D
Democratic12
66% Yea
R
Republican28
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
27
Key actions
8
Committee
10
May 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read by title, roll called, yeas 97, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
lower
May 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 32 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 19, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
May 14, 2026
Committee
Read by title. Recommitted to the Committee on Finance.
upper
May 14, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Committee amendments read and adopted.
upper
May 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported with amendments.
upper
May 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 99, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (17-0).
lower
Apr 16, 2026
Committee
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.
lower
Apr 15, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (11-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Insurance.
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Insurance.
lower
1 primary · 9 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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