Arkansas 2023 2023 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1574 Chaptered / Bill

Filed 04/13/2023

                    Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law. 
Act 513 of the Regular Session 
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State of Arkansas 	As Engrossed:  H3/27/23  1 
94th General Assembly A Bill     2 
Regular Session, 2023  	HOUSE BILL 1574 3 
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By: Representative Vaught 5 
By: Senator K. Hammer 6 
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8 
AN ACT TO SUPPORT PO SITIVE MENTAL HEALTH FOR FAMILIES 9 
WITH YOUNG CHILDREN THROUGH THE ARKANSAS MEDICAID 10 
PROGRAM; TO ESTABLIS H SUPPLEMENTAL REIMB URSEMENT 11 
RATES FOR PREVENTIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDRE N WITH 12 
COVERAGE IN THE ARKA NSAS MEDICAID PROGRA M; AND FOR 13 
OTHER PURPOSES.  14 
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Subtitle 17 
TO SUPPORT POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH FOR 18 
FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN THROUGH THE 19 
ARKANSAS MEDICAID PROGRAM; AND TO 20 
ESTABLISH SUPPLEMENTAL REIMBURSEMENT 21 
RATES FOR PREVENTIVE SERVICES FOR 22 
CHILDREN. 23 
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 26 
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 SECTION 1.  Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 77, Subchapter 1, is 28 
amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 29 
 20-77-148.  Legislative findings — Supplemental reimbursement rates for 30 
preventive services fo r children. 31 
 (a)  The General Assembly finds that: 32 
 (1)  Prevention and early intervention in child health and well -33 
being improves health outcomes and saves money in the long term; 34 
 (2)  A significant proportion of pediatric behavioral healthcare 35 
claims in Arkansas occur in primary care settings; 36   As Engrossed:  H3/27/23 	HB1574 
 
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 (3)  Through training and practice transformation, primary care 1 
healthcare teams can address preventive behavioral health and family needs 2 
through integrated care teams which include licensed mental health staf	f or 3 
non-licensed mental health staff, or both; and 4 
 (4)  The Mental Health and Behavioral Health Working Group in 5 
2022 made a recommendation to incentivize medical homes, through supplemental 6 
reimbursement rates, to address prevention and early intervent ion through 7 
universal, team-based enhanced primary care services for children. 8 
 (b)  As used in this section: 9 
 (1)  “Actively participate in” means a physician practice has 10 
completed training to implement a team -based, evidence-based pediatric 11 
practice transformation model of care and is on track to achieve, or has 12 
achieved, model fidelity according to requirements established by an entity 13 
that utilizes data and outcomes; and 14 
 (2)  “Team-based, evidence-based pediatric practice 15 
transformation model of car e” means a research-informed model of primary 16 
health care for children that has demonstrated improved physical health, 17 
behavioral health, developmental outcomes, and social outcomes for children 18 
and their families. 19 
 (c)  The Arkansas Medicaid Program shall : 20 
 (1)  Provide a supplemental reimbursement rate for physician 21 
practices enrolled in the patient -centered medical home program that 22 
currently and actively participate in a team -based, evidence-based pediatric 23 
practice transformation model of care; and 24 
 (2)  Collaborate with experts in pediatric health care to select 25 
the team-based, evidence-based pediatric practice transformation models of 26 
care most appropriate for use with the patient -centered medical home program. 27 
 (d)  The supplemental reimbursement r ate described in subsection (c) of 28 
this section shall: 29 
 (1)  Supplement fee-for-service wellness visit rates in a child’s 30 
medical home from birth until a child’s fourth birthday; 31 
 (2)  Support the physician practices enrolled in the patient -32 
centered medical home program to employ interdisciplinary staff required to 33 
implement the patient -centered medical home program; and 34 
 (3)  Be reviewed periodically in conjunction with future Medicaid 35 
rate reviews for physician services. 36  As Engrossed:  H3/27/23 	HB1574 
 
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 (e)(1)  A  physician practice enrolled in the patient -centered medical 1 
home program shall work with an entity that utilizes data and outcomes to 2 
demonstrate adherence to a team -based, evidence-based pediatric practice 3 
transformation model of care focused on young children and families. 4 
 (2)  The Arkansas Medicaid Program shall keep on file a letter, 5 
updated annually, verifying the physician practice enrolled in the patient	-6 
centered medical home program actively participates in a team -based, 7 
evidence-based pediatric practice transformat ion model of care. 8 
 (f)  On or before January 1, 2024, the Department of Human Services 9 
shall submit and apply for any federal waivers, Medicaid state plan 10 
amendments, or other authority necessary to implement this section. 11 
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/s/Vaught 13 
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APPROVED: 4/10/23 16 
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