Vol. 24 Annals of Health Law 282
3. Quantitative Limits on Mental/Behavioral Health Out-Patient Services
Service Mental/Behavioral Health Out-Patient Services (MHOP)
Limit Number of States States
No limit 32
AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC,
GA, HI, ID, IL, KS, LA, ME,
MD, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV,
NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OR,
RI, SD, VT, VA, WA, WV,
WI
1–14 visits / yr 1 UT
14–31 visits / yr 15
AL, DE, FL, IN, KY, MA, MI,
NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX,
WY
< 31 visits / yr 2 IA, MS
Other 2 AR, SC
Unlike inpatient services, outpatient services were typically limited by
visits per year, rather than days per year. This change did not affect the
number of states offering this service without limitation, as once again nearly two-thirds of all states placed no limits on mental health outpatient
(“MHOP”) services. Only one state limited the service to fewer than fourteen visits per year (OH with eight visits per year), being the most limited
of the plans, while two states limited visits to fifty-two visits per year (IA,
MS). States that did not limit their MH services by days or visits per year
largely continued to do the same with SU services.
