Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 264 3
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By: Senator Irvin 5
By: Representative L. Johnson 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE ARKANSAS PRIMARY CARE PAYMENT 9
IMPROVEMENT WORKING GROUP; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 10
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Subtitle 13
TO ESTABLISH THE ARKANSAS PRIMARY CARE 14
PAYMENT IMPROVEMENT WORKING GROUP. 15
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 17
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SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings and intent. 19
(a) The General Assembly finds that: 20
(1) There is extensive data demonstrating that a population’s 21
increased access to quality primary care reduces overall healthcare costs and 22
improves health outcomes; 23
(2) Without access to high -quality primary care, healthcare 24
costs rise, preventable health issues escalate, and chronic disease burden 25
worsens; 26
(3) Studies demonstrate that investing more in primary care 27
reduces health system costs and improves a population’s health; and 28
(4) A population’s increased access to primary care results in 29
fewer emergency department visits, hospital stays, and surgeries. 30
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly to form a working group 31
to better understand the primary care system in this state and its effect on 32
health outcomes for Arkansans. 33
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SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE. Arkansas Primary Care 35
Payment Improvement Working Group. 36 SB264
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(a) There is established the Arkansas Primary Care Payment Improvement 1
Working Group, to be composed of the following eight (8) members: 2
(1) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services, or his or 3
her designee; 4
(2) The Insurance Commissioner, or his or her designee; 5
(3) A designee of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement; 6
(4) A physician representative of the primary care community in 7
this state, as selected by the Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians, Inc.; 8
(5) A pediatrician representative of the primary care community 9
in this state, as selected by the Arkansas Chapter. American Academy of 10
Pediatrics; 11
(6) An advanced practice registered nurse representative of the 12
primary care community in this state, as selected by the Arkansas Nurses 13
Association; 14
(7) A representative of the Arkansas commercial health insurance 15
community from an Arkansas -based insurer, as selected by America’s Health 16
Insurance Plans; and 17
(8) A practicing primary care physician as selected by the 18
Arkansas Medical Society, Inc. 19
(b) The member of the working group designated by the Arkansas Chapter 20
of the Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians, Inc., shall serve as Chair of 21
the Arkansas Primary Care Payment Improvement Working Group and be 22
responsible for scheduling regular meetings of the group. 23
(c) All members of the working group are voting members. 24
(d) Any vacancies that occur for any membership positions that are not 25
held as a function of office shall be filled by the selecting body upon 26
vacancy. 27
(e) The working group shall: 28
(1)(A) Establish a definition of primary care to be utilized by 29
the working group. 30
(B) The definition shall be applicable to primary care and 31
services provided under the Arkansas Medicaid Program and commercial 32
insurance plans; 33
(2) Identify any portion of the Arkansas Medicaid Program 34
population that should not be included in the study due to the unique 35
circumstances of the population; 36 SB264
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(3) Create templates for data submission from commercial 1
insurance carriers and the Arkansas Medicaid Program; 2
(4) Conduct an evaluation of the current amount spent on primary 3
care and other healthcare services, both as it relates to the Arkansas 4
Medicaid Program and the commercial insurance carriers, including Medicare 5
Advantage plans; 6
(5) Determine the adequacy of the primary care delivery system 7
in Arkansas, including the effect this system has on the supply of the 8
primary care providers in this state; 9
(6) Study the primary care payment landscape in other states, 10
specifically considering states that have implemented a primary care spending 11
target; and 12
(7) Identify data collection and measurement systems as a basis 13
for creation of a primary care spending target for the Arkansas Medicaid 14
Program and commercial insurance carriers operating in this state that 15
includes a method by which to measure improvements made toward the primary 16
care spending target. 17
(f)(1) The working group may request and receive data from commercial 18
insurance carriers that do business in this state related to the provision of 19
and payment for primary care as a percentage of overall claims payment. 20
(2) Data received under subdivision (f)(1) of this section shall 21
include without limitation commercial insurance carrier submitted templates 22
that report information such as: 23
(A) Fee-for-service payments; 24
(B) Non-fee-for-service payments; 25
(C) Primary care incentive programs and requirements; 26
(D) The numbers of participating providers; 27
(E) Performance metrics; 28
(F) Prices; 29
(G) Utilization; 30
(H) Total cost trends; and 31
(I) Other information as identified in annual notices. 32
(3) A commercial insurance carrier shall use templates supplied 33
by the group in consultation with the State Insurance Department to provide 34
prospective and retrospective information to the group. 35
(4) The State Insurance Department shall monitor and ensure 36 SB264
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compliance with this section. 1
(g)(1) No later than April 1, 2026, the working group shall submit a 2
report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislative Council. 3
(2) The report shall include a recommendation for a primary care 4
spending target for both commercial insurance carriers and the Arkansas 5
Medicaid Program designed to achieve better health outcomes and decreased 6
healthcare costs for the people of Arkansas. 7
(3) If the Arkansas Medicaid Program or any commercial insurance 8
carrier fails to meet the primary care spending targets adopted by the 9
Legislative Council based on the report under subdivision (g)(1) of this 10
section, the Legislative Council may request that a representative of the 11
entity failing to meet the primary care spending target appear before the 12
Legislative Council and provide details on the efforts the entity is making 13
to meet the primary care spending target. 14
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 23 -61-906(a), concerning data submission 16
under the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative, is amended to read as 17
follows: 18
(a) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, no later 19
than January 1, 2016, and every quarter thereafter, a submitting entity shall 20
submit health and dental claims data, unique identifiers, and geographic and 21
demographic information for covered individuals as permitted in this 22
subchapter, nonclaims-based payments made to providers, and provider files to 23
the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative in accordance with standards 24
and procedures adopted by the State Insurance Department. 25
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