New Hampshire Law Eliminates Insurance Pre-Approval For Crisis Behavioral Health Services

On August 8, 2023, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed a law that prevents commercial insurers from imposing pre-approval requirements for behavioral health services provided by a mobile crisis team outside a licensed hospital. The law, Senate bill (SB) 85, applies to the continuum of crisis response for mental health and/or addiction disorder. The continuum of services includes crisis intervention, including counseling provided by centers participating in the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network, mobile crisis response teams, and crisis receiving and stabilization services. Previously, insurers could require pre-approval for behavioral health crisis services provided outside a licensed . . .