Utah health insurers would be required to provide more accurate provider directories and guarantee timely access to mental health and substance use treatment under HB 71, a bill advancing through the 2026 Legislature. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Steve Eliason and floor sponsor Sen. Kirk A. Cullimore.
If enacted, the bill would require health insurers to ensure patients can access mental health and substance use treatment within 15 days, or within 24 hours in urgent or crisis situations. Insurers would be required to arrange out-of-network care at in-network rates if timely in-network services aren’t available. The measure would also mandate that insurers publish and regularly update publicly accessible provider directories, investigate inaccuracies, and face potential enforcement if patients rely on incorrect information.
The bill was prompted by an audit conducted by the legislative auditor general. When 180 behavioral health providers from commercial insurance directories were called to see if an appointment could be made, acting as a patient seeking care, approximately 70% were found to be “ghost providers”—meaning they were no longer accepting that specific insurance or not accepting patients in general.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, cited by Eliason, there is an 11-year delay from when symptoms of a mental health issue first appear until an individual receives a diagnosis and begins treatment. The bill passed the House on February 5 in a 65-5-5 vote and was amended in committee to a third substitute in the Senate, receiving a favorable recommendation from the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on a 5-0-2 vote. It now heads to the Senate floor for debate and a final vote.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.cedarcityutah.com/news/utah-bill-takes-aim-at-ghost-mental-health-providers-long-wait-times/article_4d0e8efe-4eaf-584a-8c4a-386f18b591aa.html