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

Caucus & COW

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)

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)

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7. HB 2520

8. Initials AG/KT Page 0 Caucus & COW

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