The bill HB 2230 proposes to amend the Arizona Revised Statutes to include outpatient speech therapy as a covered benefit under the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) for adults aged 21 and older. Currently, AHCCCS only covers inpatient speech therapy that is medically necessary and ordered by a physician, while outpatient speech therapy is limited to specific groups such as KidsCare and ALTCS members, as well as children under 21 receiving EPSDT services. The new bill aims to expand access to outpatient speech therapy for a broader adult population.

In addition to adding outpatient speech therapy, the bill also makes several deletions and modifications to existing language regarding covered services. Specifically, it removes the exclusion of speech therapy from outpatient health services and updates the language related to various medical services and devices. The estimated cost of implementing this new benefit is projected to be $179,400 from the General Fund, totaling $854,100 when considering all funds.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-2907