Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1850 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2		-	Act 867 of the Regular Session
3	2		ANS341 03/19/2025 11:49:37 AM ANS341
4	3		State of Arkansas 1
5	4		95th General Assembly A Bill 2
6	5		Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1850 3
7	6		4
8	7		By: Representatives L. Johnson, Perry 5
9	8		By: Senator Irvin 6
10	9		7
11	10		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
12	11		AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING GROUND AMBULANCE 9
13	12		SERVICES; TO CLARIFY THE MINIMUM ALLOWABLE 10
14	13		REIMBURSEMENT FOR GROUND AMBULANCE SERVICES; TO 11
15	14		DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12
16	15		13
17	16		14
18	17		Subtitle 15
19	18		TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING GROUND 16
20	19		AMBULANCE SERVICES; TO CLARIFY THE 17
21	20		MINIMUM ALLOWABLE REIMBURSEMENT FOR 18
22	21		GROUND AMBULANCE SERVICES; AND TO 19
23	22		DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 20
24	23		21
25	24		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
26	25		23
27	26		SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 23 -99-1802(a), concerning the minimum 24
28	27		allowable reimbursement for ground ambulance services, is amended to read as 25
29	28		follows: 26
30	29		(a)(1) The minimum allowable reimbursement rate under any health 27
31	30		benefit plan issued by a healthcare insurer to a participating ground 28
32	31		ambulance service provider or an out -of-network ground ambulance service 29
33	32		provider shall be at the rates approved or contracted between an the 30
34	33		ambulance service provider and a the local government entity as provided for 31
35	34		in § 14-266-105. 32
36	35		(2) In On and after July 1, 2025, in the absence of rates set as 33
37	36		provided under subdivision (a)(1) of this section, the minimum allowable rate 34
38	37		of reimbursement under a health benefit plan issued by a healthcare insurer 35
39	38		shall be the lesser of: 36 HB1850
40	39
41	40		2 03/19/2025 11:49:37 AM ANS341
42	41		(A) The rate established by the Workers' Compensation 1
43	42		Commission under its medical fee schedule for ambulance services Three 2
44	43		hundred twenty-five percent (325%) of the Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule, 3
45	44		Arkansas Rural Rate, as established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 4
46	45		Services at the time of the date of service for the same service provided ; or 5
47	46		(B) The provider's billed charges. 6
48	47		7
49	48		SECTION 2. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 8
50	49		General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that it is necessary to resolve a 9
51	50		conflict regarding in -network and out-of-network reimbursement rates for 10
52	51		ambulance services; that the conflict is causing confusion between ambulance 11
53	52		providers, insurers, and the State Insurance Department; and that this act is 12
54	53		immediately necessary because to alleviate confusion concerning reimbursement 13
55	54		rates for ambulance services. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, 14
56	55		and this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public 15
57	56		peace, health, and safety shall become effective on: 16
58	57		(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 17
59	58		(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 18
60	59		the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 19
61	60		bill; or 20
62	61		(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 21
63	62		overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 22
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65	64		24
66		-	~~APPROVED: 4/17/25~~ 25
	65	+	25
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