TO PROHIBIT DIFFERENT REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR SERVICES PERFORMED BY THE SAME TYPE OF PROVIDER IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS WITHIN THE ARKANSAS MEDICAID PROGRAM.

HB 1165 (withdrawn by author on March 17, 2025) would have prohibited Arkansas Medicaid from paying different reimbursement rates for identical services provided by the same type of healthcare provider (e.g., physicians) in different settings - such as a doctor's office versus a behavioral health agency - when using the same billing codes. The bill aimed to address disparities where providers in behavioral health settings received lower payments for the same services compared to office-based settings, which the bill’s findings stated disadvantaged behavioral health services. It required the Arkansas Department of Human Services to seek federal approvals to implement this uniform payment policy. The bill was introduced in January 2025 but withdrawn before committee action.