| 3 | 2 | | *JMB396* 02/21/2025 11:23:46 AM JMB396 |
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| 4 | 3 | | State of Arkansas 1 |
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| 5 | 4 | | 95th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 6 | 5 | | Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1559 3 |
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| 7 | 6 | | 4 |
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| 8 | 7 | | By: Representative McGrew 5 |
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| 9 | 8 | | By: Senator J. Boyd 6 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 7 |
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| 11 | 10 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 12 | 11 | | AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO 9 |
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| 13 | 12 | | SEEK A WAIVER TO THE ARKANSAS MEDICAID PROGRAM FOR 10 |
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| 14 | 13 | | COVERAGE FOR INPATIENT TREATMENT SERVICES FOR 11 |
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| 15 | 14 | | SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12 |
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| 16 | 15 | | 13 |
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| 17 | 16 | | 14 |
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| 18 | 17 | | Subtitle 15 |
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| 19 | 18 | | TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN 16 |
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| 20 | 19 | | SERVICES TO SEEK A WAIVER TO THE 17 |
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| 21 | 20 | | ARKANSAS MEDICAID PROGRAM FOR COVERAGE 18 |
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| 22 | 21 | | FOR INPATIENT TREATMENT SERVICES FOR 19 |
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| 23 | 22 | | SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. 20 |
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| 24 | 23 | | 21 |
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| 25 | 24 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22 |
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| 26 | 25 | | 23 |
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| 27 | 26 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 77, Subchapter 1, is 24 |
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| 28 | 27 | | amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 25 |
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| 29 | 28 | | 20-77-154. Inpatient treatment for substance use disorder — 26 |
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| 30 | 29 | | Legislative findings. 27 |
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| 31 | 30 | | (a) The General Assembly finds that: 28 |
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| 32 | 31 | | (1) Substance use disorder is a significant public health 29 |
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| 33 | 32 | | concern in this state; 30 |
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| 34 | 33 | | (2) Inpatient treatment for substance use disorders is an 31 |
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| 35 | 34 | | essential component of comprehensive care; 32 |
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| 36 | 35 | | (3) Currently, inpatient treatment for substance use disorder is 33 |
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| 37 | 36 | | primarily funded through federal block grants; and 34 |
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| 38 | 37 | | (4) Expanding coverage in the Arkansas Medicaid Program for 35 |
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| 39 | 38 | | inpatient treatment for substance use disorder could improve access to care 36 HB1559 |
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| 40 | 39 | | |
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| 41 | 40 | | 2 02/21/2025 11:23:46 AM JMB396 |
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| 42 | 41 | | and patient outcomes in this state. 1 |
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| 43 | 42 | | (b) The Department of Human Services shall: 2 |
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| 44 | 43 | | (1)(A) Develop and submit an application to the Centers of 3 |
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| 45 | 44 | | Medicare & Medicaid Services for a demonstration waiver under section 1115 of 4 |
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| 46 | 45 | | the Social Security Act, as in effect January 1, 2025, for exclusion of 5 |
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| 47 | 46 | | institutions for mental diseases for inpatient treatment services of 6 |
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| 48 | 47 | | substance use disorder within the program. 7 |
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| 49 | 48 | | (B) The application described in subdivision (b)(1)(A) of 8 |
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| 50 | 49 | | this section shall: 9 |
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| 51 | 50 | | (i) Allow coverage for inpatient treatment of 10 |
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| 52 | 51 | | substance use disorder in facilities that qualify as institutions for mental 11 |
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| 53 | 52 | | diseases; 12 |
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| 54 | 53 | | (ii) Expand access to medication -assisted treatment 13 |
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| 55 | 54 | | for opioid use disorder; 14 |
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| 56 | 55 | | (iii) Improve care coordination for beneficiaries 15 |
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| 57 | 56 | | with substance use disorder; and 16 |
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| 58 | 57 | | (iv) Develop intensive outpatient services designed 17 |
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| 59 | 58 | | to reduce the need for inpatient treatment services; 18 |
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| 60 | 59 | | (2) Consult with relevant stakeholders, including substance use 19 |
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| 61 | 60 | | disorder treatment providers, patient advocacy groups, and behavioral health 20 |
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| 62 | 61 | | experts in developing the waiver application described in subdivision 21 |
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| 63 | 62 | | (b)(1)(A) of this section; 22 |
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| 64 | 63 | | (3) Implement expanded coverage and services as authorized and 23 |
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| 65 | 64 | | approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and 24 |
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| 66 | 65 | | (4) Report annually to the General Assembly on the status of the 25 |
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| 67 | 66 | | waiver application described under subdivision (b)(1)(A) of this section, the 26 |
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| 68 | 67 | | implementation progress, and outcomes of the expanded coverage. 27 |
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| 69 | 68 | | 28 |
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| 70 | 69 | | 29 |
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