Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1052 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2	2	ANS059 11/25/2024 11:59:36 AM ANS059
3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1052 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Representatives Gramlich, L. Johnson 5
8	8	By: Senator J. Boyd 6
9	9	7
10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT TO MANDATE COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN RESPIRATORY 9
12	12	SYNCYTIAL VIRUS DISEASE IMMUNIZATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR 10
13	13	CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
14	14	12
15	15	13
16	16	Subtitle 14
17	17	TO MANDATE COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN 15
18	18	RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS DISEASE 16
19	19	IMMUNIZATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR CERTAIN 17
20	20	INDIVIDUALS. 18
21	21	19
22	22	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 20
23	23	21
24	24	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 23, Chapter 79, is amended to add an 22
25	25	additional subchapter to read as follows: 23
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27	27	Subchapter 29 — Coverage for Monoclonal Antibodies for Immunization of 25
28	28	Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease 26
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30	30	23-79-2901. Definitions. 28
31	31	As used in this subchapter: 29
32	32	(1)(A) "Health benefit plan" means: 30
33	33	(i) An individual, blanket, or group plan or a policy 31
34	34	or contract for healthcare services offered, issued, renewed, delivered, or 32
35	35	extended in this state by a healthcare insurer; and 33
36	36	(ii) A health benefit program receiving state or 35 34
37	37	federal appropriations from the State of Arkansas, including the Arkansas 35
38	38	Medicaid Program and the Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me Program, § 36 HB1052
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41	41	23-61-1001 et seq., or any successor program. 1
42	42	(B) “Health benefit plan” includes: 2
43	43	(i) Indemnity and managed care plans; and 3
44	44	(ii) Nonfederal governmental plans as defined in 29 4
45	45	U.S.C. § 1002(32), as it existed on January 1, 2025. 5
46	46	(C) “Health benefit plan” does not include: 6
47	47	(i) A plan that provides only dental benefits or eye 7
48	48	8 and vision care benefits; 8
49	49	(ii) A disability income plan; 9
50	50	(iii) A credit insurance plan; 10
51	51	(iv) Insurance coverage issued as a supplement to 11
52	52	liability insurance; 12
53	53	(v) A medical payment under an automobile or 13
54	54	homeowners insurance plan; 14
55	55	(vi) A health benefit plan provided under Arkansas 15
56	56	Constitution, Article 5, § 32, the Workers' Compensation Law, § 11 -9-101 et 16
57	57	17 seq., or the Public Employee Workers' Compensation Act, § 21 -5-601 et 17
58	58	seq.; 18
59	59	(vii) A plan that provides only indemnity for 19 19
60	60	hospital confinement; 20
61	61	(viii) An accident-only plan; 21
62	62	(ix) A specified disease plan; or 22
63	63	(x) A long-term-care-only plan; 23
64	64	(2)(A) "Healthcare insurer" means an entity subject to the 24
65	65	insurance laws of this state or the jurisdiction of the Insurance 25
66	66	Commissioner that contracts or offers to contract to provide health insurance 26
67	67	coverage, including without limitation an insurance company, a hospital and 27
68	68	medical service corporation, a health maintenance organization, a self - 28
69	69	insured governmental or church plan in this state, or the Arkansas Medicaid 29
70	70	Program. 30
71	71	(B) "Healthcare insurer" does not include an entity that 31
72	72	provides only dental benefits or eye and vision care benefits; 32
73	73	(3) "Infant" means a child less than eight (8) months old; and 33
74	74	(4) "Respiratory syncytial virus disease" means a respiratory infection 34
75	75	of the nose, throat, and lungs caused by the respiratory syncytial virus. 35
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79	79	23-79-2902. Coverage for monoclonal antibodies for immunization — 1
80	80	Respiratory syncytial virus disease. 2
81	81	(a) Beginning on and after January 1, 2026, a health benefit plan that 3
82	82	is offered, issued, renewed, delivered, or extended in this state shall 4
83	83	provide coverage for monoclonal antibodies for immunization of respiratory 5
84	84	syncytial virus disease of an infant under guidelines issued by the United 6
85	85	States Food and Drug Administration. 7
86	86	(b) The coverage for monoclonal antibodies for immunization of 8
87	87	respiratory syncytial virus disease of an infant under subsection (a) of this 9
88	88	section: 10
89	89	(1) Is not subject to an annual deductible, copayment, or 11
90	90	coinsurance limit as established for other covered benefits under a health 12
91	91	benefit plan; and 13
92	92	(2) Does not diminish or limit benefits otherwise allowable under 14
93	93	a health benefit plan. 15
94	94	16
95	95	SECTION 2. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE. DO NOT CODIFY. Rules. 17
96	96	(a)(1) Except as provided in subdivisions (a)(2) and (3) of this 18
97	97	section, the Insurance Commissioner shall promulgate rules necessary to 19
98	98	implement this act. 20
99	99	(2) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services shall 21
100	100	promulgate rules necessary to implement this act that may apply to the 22
101	101	Arkansas Medicaid Program or the Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me 23
102	102	Program, § 23-61-1001 et seq. 24
103	103	(3) The State Board of Finance shall promulgate rules necessary 25
104	104	to implement this act that may apply to the State and Public School Life and 26
105	105	Health Insurance Program. 27
106	106	(b) When adopting the initial rules required under this act, the 28
107	107	commissioner, secretary, and the board shall file the final rules with the 29
108	108	Secretary of State for adoption under § 25 -15-204(f): 30
109	109	(1) On or before January 1, 2026; or 31
110	110	(2) If approval under § 10 -3-309 has not occurred by January 1, 32
111	111	2026, as soon as practicable after approval under § 10 -3-309. 33
112	112	(c) The commissioner, secretary, and board shall file the proposed 34
113	113	rules with the Legislative Council under § 10 -3-309(c) sufficiently in 35
114	114	advance of January 1, 2026, so that the Legislative Council may consider the 36 HB1052
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117	117	rules for approval before January 1, 2026. 1
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