The bill proposes amendments to section 36-3403 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, focusing on behavioral health services. It introduces changes to the administration's ability to contract and incur obligations, allowing for more flexibility within the general scope of administration. Additionally, the bill modifies the acceptance of gifts, grants, matching monies, or direct payments, enabling these to be used to conduct programs aligned with the administration's general purposes and objectives.

Significant changes are made to the requirements for an annual study of the adequacy and appropriateness of title XIX reimbursement rates to providers of behavioral health services. The bill specifies factors that must be considered in the study, including the medical care consumer price index, inflation, behavioral health workforce shortages, state-specific factors affecting labor costs, service access times, appointment availability, actual service delivery costs, workforce turnover, and costs associated with different levels of behavioral health services. The administration is mandated to deliver a complete study of behavioral health provider reimbursement rates by December 1, 2024, to various state officials, including an assessment of the impact of fraudulent claims from the preceding five years.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-3403