HB 2520
Initials AG/KT Page 1 House Engrossed
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
Second Regular Session
House: HHS DP 10-0-0-0
HB 2520: community health centers; graduate education
Sponsor: Representative Peña, LD 23
House Engrossed
Overview
Delays the date, from March 1, 2022, to October 1, 2024, for the Arizona Health Care Cost
Containment System (AHCCCS) to begin annually distributing monies appropriated for
primary care graduate medical education (GME) services to qualifying community health
centers and rural health clinics for direct and indirect costs upon the approval of the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
History
Beginning March 1, 2022, AHCCCS must establish, contingent on approval by CMS , a
separate GME program to reimburse qualifying community health centers and rural health
clinics that have an approved primary care GME program. AHCCCS is required to distribute
to qualifying community health centers and rural health clinics any monies appropriated for
GME for the direct and indirect costs of primary care graduate medical education programs
that are established by qualifying community health centers and rural health clinics and that
are approved by AHCCCS.
AHCCCS must also adopt rules specifying the formula by which the monies are to be
distributed and submit an annual report on July 1 to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee
on the number of new residency positions as reported by the primary care GME programs.
Additionally, AHCCCS coordinates with local, county, tribal governments and Arizona
universities that may provide monies in addition to state General Fund monies for primary
care graduate medical education in order to qualify for additional matching federal monies
for programs or positions in a specific locality.
A qualifying community health center is a community-based primary care facility that
provides medical care in medically underserved areas or medically underserved populations
as designated by the US Department of Health and Human Services, through the
employment of physicians, professional nurses, physician assistants or other health care
technical and paraprofessional personnel (A.R.S. § 36-2907.06).
GMEs are programs which include an approved fellowship, that prepares a physician for the
independent practice of medicine by providing didactic and clinical education in a medical
discipline to a medical student who has completed a recognized undergraduate medical
education program (A.R.S. § 36-2901).
Provisions
1. Extends the date, from March 1, 2022, to October 1, 2024, for AHCCCS to begin annually
distributing monies appropriated for primary care graduate medical education services
to qualifying community health centers and rural health clinics for direct and indirect
costs upon CMS approval. (Sec. 1) HB 2520
Initials AG/KT Page 2 House Engrossed
2. Removes the requirement that AHCCCS must establish a separate GME program to
reimburse qualifying community health centers and rural health clinics with an approved
primary care graduate medical education program. (Sec. 1)
3. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note