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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
acute care services; pilot program
Purpose
Extends the Acute Care at Home Pilot Program (ACHPP) until January 1, 2029, and requires eligible hospitals to demonstrate the ability to ensure emergency response times of no more than 30 minutes to a patient's home.
Background
Laws 2021, Chapter 320 established the ACHPP as a three-year pilot program, developed by the Department of Health Services (DHS), that allows the delivery of acute care services to a patient in the patient's home by an Arizona licensed hospital. DHS must determine, in collaboration with interested Arizona hospitals: 1) ACHPP eligibility criteria necessary for a licensed hospital; 2) protocols for eligible hospitals to determine patient ACHPP eligibility; and 3) protocols for health care services to be provided by or under the direction of eligible hospitals to patients in the ACHPP. Eligible hospitals must demonstrate to DHS the required in-person and telehealth equipment necessary to provide acute in-home services. Laws 2023, Chapter 90 extended the ACHPP for an additional two years, until January 1, 2027.
A hospital
participating in the ACHPP may use applicable DHS-determined protocols to set:
1) patient eligibility criteria; 2) categories of licensed health care
providers that may be used;
3) services that may be outsourced by the hospital; and 4) health care services
to be provided by or under the direction of the hospital, which may include
mobile paramedics services at the hospital's option.
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Extends the ACHPP until January 1, 2029.
2. Requires hospitals eligible for the ACHPP to demonstrate that the hospital's in-person and telehealth equipment is capable of providing acute-in home services in a manner that ensures emergency response times of no more than 30 minutes to a patient's home.
3. Allows participating hospitals to use applicable protocols determined by DHS to set the manner in which emergency response times are met through the use of mobile paramedics and mobile nursing services.
4. Makes technical changes.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
HHS 1/27/25 DP 11-1-0-0
3rd Read 2/27/25 50-7-3
Prepared by Senate Research
March 8, 2025
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