Mandating that health insurance companies cover Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) would bolster access to underserved communities, reduce emergency department (ED) overcrowding, and improve health quality outcomes – all at a cost to premiums of just pennies a month, according to a new report from the state’s Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA).

CHIA conducted its study at the behest of the Joint Committee on Financial Services that is considering a piece of MHA’s priority legislation this session – H.1154/S.726, An Act Relative To Insurance Coverage of Mobile Integrated Health. The legislation would require public and private health to cover healthcare services on the basis that they were delivered by a state-approved MIH program, and requires reimbursement at the same level as if the services were provided in a healthcare facility.

MIH expands the traditional role of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) by having EMS, often paramedics, coordinate with other healthcare providers and social services to deliver care to people outside of healthcare facility walls. MIH incorporates telemedicine and preventative healthcare to deliver care where patients are, whether it be for physical or behavioral healthcare, post-discharge follow-ups, or referrals to non-emergency facilities.

Such innovative programs, usually coordinated by hospitals, are underway across the state, but they are funded through grants or by hospital reserves, making them unsustainable in the long term.

“No federal laws, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), require coverage for services provided by MIH programs,” CHIA wrote. “Massachusetts law currently supports the establishment and regulation of MIH programs through the Department of Public Health (DPH). MassHealth has collaborated with healthcare providers to implement MIH services but is not required to cover these services.”

In its study, CHIA finds that requiring coverage for MIH through fully insured health plans “would result in an average annual increase to the typical member’s health insurance premium of between $0.03 and $0.12 per member per month (PMPM) or between 0.004% and 0.014% of premium, over a projection period of five years.”

CHIA said research shows that while the costs are low, the benefits from MIH are high, including reducing hospital readmissions, improving access to underserved communities, diverting patients from higher-cost EDs, and improving patient communication and engagement. “Enhancing these aspects of care can lead to significant cost savings and a stronger return on investment,” CHIA wrote, adding that surveys show the majority of MIH programs “are highly or somewhat successful in reducing per-patient healthcare costs.”

“CHIA’s report is further proof that MIH is a smart and effective resource for the needs of patients and healthcare providers, especially as Massachusetts searches for solutions that can improve community-based care and avoid the use of more expensive emergency settings,” said Leigh Simons, MHA’s senior director of healthcare policy. “We hope this gives legislators the evidence they need to advance these important bills, which have the full support of Massachusetts hospitals and health systems.”