This bill mandates the Department of Health and Human Services to establish annual unit rates for Medicaid state plan case management services, aiming to achieve rate parity within the program. The new section, RSA 126-A:18-c, requires the department to set these rates by October 1 each year, ensuring they reflect the average cost of delivering services. The department is instructed to consider factors such as economy, efficiency, quality of care, and access to care, while also addressing disparities caused by administrative payments to certain providers.

The bill does not allocate funding or authorize new positions, but it is estimated to incur costs between $4.2 million and $12.5 million annually, with general fund expenditures ranging from $2.1 million to $6.25 million. Additionally, the department anticipates needing a financial specialist and a budget analyst to manage the auditing of cost reports and rate setting, which will also incur general fund costs over the next few fiscal years. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage.