New York is proposing appointment wait time standards and network adequacy requirements for behavioral healthcare.
According to a Feb. 21 news release from the state's Department of Financial Services, the proposed rule would implement appointment wait time standards for commercial insurers and require insurers help members find appointments with in-network providers. If an in-network provider is not available within the proposed wait time standards, insurers would have to cover care from an out-of-network provider with no extra cost.
The proposed rule would also require insurers to include more information about behavioral health providers in directories, such as provider affiliations with facilities and restrictions on patients providers accept.
The proposed rule is open for comment for 60 days.