ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session
	House: HHS DP 9-0-0-0 | 3^rd Read DPA 47-11-1-0-1 Senate: HHS DP 7-0-1-0 | 3^rd Read DP 28-2-0-0

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HB 2126: rural providers; loan repayment program

Sponsor:  Representative Osborne, LD 13

Transmitted to the Governor

Overview

Exempts an Indian health service or tribal or urban Indian health facility from sliding fee scale requirements to be eligible for specified loan repayment programs.

History

The Primary Care Provider Loan Repayment Program (Program) is established in the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) to pay off portions of education loans taken out by physicians, dentists, pharmacists, advance practice providers and behavioral health providers. In order to be eligible for the Program, applicants must: 1) complete their final year of a course of study or program approved by recognized accrediting agencies for higher education in a health profession or hold an active license in a health profession; 2) demonstrate current or prospective employment with a public or nonprofit entity located in a federal designated health professional shortage area in Arizona; and 3) contract with DHS to serve in general dentistry, family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, internal medicine, geriatrics, psychiatry, pharmacy or behavioral health. (A.R.S. § 36-2172)

Additionally, DHS is required to establish the Rural Private Primary Care Provider Loan Repayment Program (Rural Program) for physicians, dentists, pharmacists, behavioral health providers and advance practice providers with current or prospective rural primary care practices located in federally designated health professional shortage areas or medical underserved areas in Arizona. To participate in the Rural Program, an applicant must agree to provide organized, discounted, sliding fee scale services for medically uninsured individuals from families with annual incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line. DHS is required to approve the sliding fee scale used by the provider. The provider is required to notify consumers of the availability of these services. (A.R.S. § 36-2174)

Statue requires DHS to designate areas of medical need as medically underserved if: 1) the area is designated as a health professional shortage area as defined by federal law; or 2) the area is designated as medically underserved by DHS utilizing an index that measures specified indicators (A.R.S. § 36-2352).

Provisions

1. Specifies that an applicant for the Program who works at an Indian health service facility or trial or urban Indian health facility is not required to provide a sliding fee scale to be eligible for the Program. (Sec. 1)

2. Stipulates that an applicant for the Rural Program who works at an Indian health service or tribal facility is not required to provide a sliding fee scale to be eligible for the Rural Program. (Sec. 2)

3. Provides a rulemaking exemption for the Department of Health Services for 18 months after the effective date of the bill. (Sec. 3)

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7.                   HB 2126

8. Initials EB  Page 0 Transmitted

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