SB264

Senate Bill 264 establishes the Arkansas Primary Care Payment Improvement Working Group, a nine-member committee tasked with analyzing the state's primary care landscape. The working group is mandated to define 'primary care,' evaluate current healthcare spending within the Arkansas Medicaid Program and commercial insurance carriers, and study successful primary care spending models in other states. The bill requires commercial insurance carriers to provide detailed data regarding their payments, incentive programs, and cost trends to assist in these evaluations. By April 1, 2026, the working group must report its findings and recommend a primary care spending target to the Legislative Council. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to improve health outcomes and reduce overall healthcare costs in Arkansas. Furthermore, the bill amends existing statutes regarding data submission to the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative.