The bill amends the annual reimbursement cap for diagnostic laboratory services within the Arkansas Medicaid Program. Specifically, it raises the cap for diagnostic laboratory services from five hundred dollars ($500) to five hundred dollars ($500) or one thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,800) if the beneficiary is diagnosed with chronic pain or is undergoing pain management. The cap for radiology services remains unchanged at five hundred dollars ($500). Additionally, the Department of Human Services is tasked with promulgating necessary rules to implement these changes, with a deadline for filing the final rules set for January 1, 2026, or as soon as practicable after that date if prior approval is needed.

The bill also includes an emergency clause, highlighting the urgent need to improve efficiency in diagnostic laboratory services due to inadequate monitoring of beneficiaries, which is linked to the opioid epidemic and increased emergency room visits. The act is deemed necessary for the health and safety of Arkansas Medicaid beneficiaries and is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.