A bill working its way through the New Mexico Senate would prohibit barriers that can impede access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, according to KRQE News.

Senate Bill 273 would mandate that insurance in New Mexico cannot put any more coverage restrictions on behavioral health and substance abuse disorders than are applied to any other medical services.

State Sen. Martin Hickey (D-Albuquerque), the lead sponsor of the bill, said the legislation puts “teeth” in similar federal legislation to ensure there are no need for referrals or prior authorizations.

“As you know, the moment someone’s ready to go, you gotta go,” Hickey (D-Albuquerque) told KRQE News.

The bill, Hickey said, allows commercial insurance companies leverage to raise their rates for behavioral health providers to attract and retain more customers in the state. That raised some concerns about how it would impact insurance premiums.

Still, the bill was sent to the Senate floor after approval by the Senate Finance Committee.

“When behavioral health conditions are stabilized, or substance use, those individuals usually have comorbid chronic diseases, and they’re not taking their pills,” Hickey told KRQE News. “They’re getting out of control. They’re showing up in emergency rooms. They’re getting admitted, and once they’re stabilized because they get access to care, those costs go down by a factor of three to four.”

According to a fiscal impact report, if this bill is not enacted, the state will not have the capacity to create consumer protections for equal mental health coverage.