Sen. Missy Irvin

Maddy summaryHB 1299 would prohibit healthcare insurers from seeking repayment (recoupment) for services paid to providers more than one year after the initial payment. This directly affects healthcare providers who receive payments from insurers, as it limits insurers' ability to reclaim funds for alleged errors or overpayments after a one-year window. The bill defines key terms like "fraud," "waste," and "abuse" in healthcare billing but centers on establishing this strict one-year deadline for recoupment actions. The bill was introduced in the 2025 legislative session, passed committee, and was withdrawn by its author on March 17, 2025, before becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 1182 updates Arkansas law by replacing the term "Medication Assistive Person" with "Certified Medication Assistant" throughout existing regulations. It establishes specific certification requirements, including 115 hours of training, passing an exam, and maintaining active status on the state's nurse aide registry. Certified Medication Assistants may only administer certain nonprescription and prescription drugs (like oral, topical, or insulin injections) under a licensed nurse's supervision at designated facilities, and cannot handle controlled substances, IV medications, or perform patient assessments. This bill directly affects individuals working in nursing facilities who administer medications, standardizing their title and clarifying their scope of practice.

Maddy summarySB 267 repeals the Arkansas Alternative Motor Fuel Development Act and the Alternative Motor Fuel Development Fund. This bill removes the state law that previously governed alternative motor fuel development programs and eliminates the dedicated fund that provided financial support for such initiatives. The repeal directly affects any current or future projects or entities that relied on the fund or the legal framework established by the Act. As a result, Arkansas no longer maintains this specific funding mechanism or regulatory structure for alternative motor fuel development.

Maddy summaryHB 1309 requires health insurers in Arkansas to cover screening mammograms and breast ultrasounds without any copayments or deductibles, regardless of whether services are provided on separate dates or multiple times on the same day. It also ensures that diagnostic breast cancer exams (including MRIs) have cost-sharing requirements no worse than those for screening exams. This bill directly affects insured Arkansans seeking breast cancer screenings by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for these specific preventive services. The law amends existing coverage requirements to clarify and strengthen access to early detection services under health benefit plans.

Maddy summarySB 265 reduces the size of two licensing committees: one for wastewater and one for solid waste. It modifies committee membership rules and updates requirements for apprenticeship licenses in solid waste licensing. This bill directly affects the committees that oversee these licenses and individuals seeking to work in solid waste management through apprenticeship programs. The changes became law as Act 294 on March 12, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling to issue provisional licenses to Licensed Associate Counselors and Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapists. The provisional license would be valid for one year, allowing up to three attempts to pass the required licensure exam, and cannot be renewed. It directly affects associate-level mental health professionals working toward full licensure in counseling or marriage/family therapy. The policy change standardizes the provisional licensing process for both professions under existing qualification requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1287 amends the Healthcare Contracting Simplification Act to define "downcode" (when insurers or payers reduce payment amounts below what a healthcare provider billed) and requires all healthcare payers to notify providers when they downcode a claim. This directly affects hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers who receive payments from insurance companies or government programs like Medicaid. The key provision mandates clear, timely written notice to providers whenever a payment is downcoded, ensuring transparency about reduced reimbursements. The law aims to simplify billing disputes by establishing a clear definition and notification requirement, reducing confusion over payment adjustments.

Maddy summaryHB 1353 regulates vision benefit managers and amends Arkansas' Vision Care Plan Act and Healthcare Contracting Simplification Act. It prohibits insurance contracts from automatically reducing vision benefits solely due to other coverage (e.g., multiple vision plans), requiring such reductions to follow Insurance Commissioner-approved rules instead. The bill defines key terms like "covered materials" (e.g., lenses, frames) and "vision benefit manager," while banning agreements that force providers to charge more for non-covered services than their standard rates. This directly affects Arkansans with vision insurance plans and eye care providers, ensuring fairer billing practices for covered vision care services and materials. The bill passed in February 2025 and became Act 142.

Maddy summarySB 213, now Act 140, creates Arkansas' "Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act" to improve maternal health through Medicaid reforms. It requires the Arkansas Medicaid Program to cover specific services separately (not as bundled payments), including prenatal visits, blood pressure monitoring devices with training, remote ultrasounds, and doula/community health worker home visits for prenatal/postpartum care. The law also mandates depression screening for pregnant women and allows immediate enrollment for pregnant applicants while awaiting full processing. These changes directly affect pregnant and postpartum Medicaid enrollees in Arkansas, aiming to expand access to critical health services.

Maddy summarySB 134 reduces the frequency of meetings for two Arkansas advisory commissions (public school employee and state employee health benefit commissions) from monthly to quarterly, requiring a minimum of four meetings annually instead of twelve. It also cuts stipends for non-employee appointed members from $500 to $100 per month. The bill directly affects commission members who serve in these advisory roles. This procedural change modifies operational details without altering health benefit policies or coverage.