SB348

Senate Bill 348 proposes to amend Arkansas Code § 20-77-147(b) by increasing the annual reimbursement cap for diagnostic laboratory services within the Arkansas Medicaid program. Specifically, the bill raises the standard annual cap for diagnostic laboratory services from $500 to $500 (while maintaining the $1,800 cap for beneficiaries with chronic pain or undergoing pain management). The bill mandates that the Department of Human Services promulgate necessary rules to implement these changes by January 1, 2026. An emergency clause is included, declaring that the current low cap hinders adequate patient monitoring, contributes to medication misuse related to the opioid epidemic, and leads to increased emergency room visits. Consequently, the bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, upon emergency enactment.