ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-sixth Legislature First Regular Session
	Senate: HHS DP 6-0-1-0 | APPROP DP 7-2-1-0 | 3^rd Read 24-5-1-0 House: HHS DP 8-1-0-0

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SB 1016: AHCCCS; speech therapy

Sponsor: Senator Shope, LD 16

Caucus & COW

Overview

Requires speech therapy to be covered by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) for eligible individuals who are at least 21 years old. 

History

Established in 1981, AHCCCS is Arizona's Medicaid program that oversees contracted health plans for the delivery of health care to individuals and families who qualify for Medicaid and other medical assistance programs. Through contracted health plans across the state, AHCCCS delivers health care to qualifying individuals including low-income adults, their children or people with certain disabilities.

Statute outlines the covered health and medical services offered to AHCCCS members, including: 1) inpatient hospital services; 2) outpatient health services; 3) laboratory and X-ray services; 4) prescription medications; 5) medical supplies, durable medical equipment, insulin pumps and prosthetic devices; 6) treatment of medical conditions of the eye; 7) early and periodic health screening and diagnostic services; 8) family planning services; 9) podiatry services; 10) nonexperimental transplants; 11) emergency dental care; 12) ambulance and nonambulance transportation; 13) hospice care; 14) orthotics; 15) medically necessary chiropractic services; and 16) diabetes outpatient self-management training services.

For eligible persons who are at least 21 years old, the limits and exclusions for health and medical services for AHCCCS coverage is as follows:

1) outpatient health services do not include speech therapy;

2) prosthetic devices do not include hearing aids, dentures, bone-anchored hearing aids or cochlear implants;

3) percussive vests are not covered health and medical services;

4) durable medical equipment is limited to the items covered by Medicaid;

5) nonexperimental transplants do not include pancreas-only transplants; and

6) bariatric surgery procedures, including laparoscopic and open gastric bypass and restrictive procedures, are not covered health and medical services (A.R.S. § 36-2907).       

The AHCCCS Director administers the Hospital Assessment Fund which consists of monies collected from an assessment of hospital revenues, discharges or bed days for the purpose of supplementing AHCCCS funding from the Prop 204 protection account and the Arizona Tobacco Litigation Settlement Fund (A.R.S. §§ 36-2901.08 and 36-2901.09).

Provisions

1. Removes speech therapy from the list of health and medical services that are limited or excluded from AHCCCS coverage for persons at least 21 years old. (Sec. 1)

2. Excludes the Hospital Assessment Fund from being used to provide outpatient speech therapy for eligible persons who are at least 21 years old. (Sec. 1)

3. Contains technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)

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7.                   SB 1016

8. Initials AG/BSR    Page 0 Caucus & COW

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