HB1890
To Allow School Districts To Bill For Healthcare Services; And To Require The Arkansas Medicaid Program To Reimburse School Districts For Certain Healthcare Services.
Last Action (May 5, 2025): Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment.
Sponsors
AI-Generated Summary
House Bill 1890 amends Arkansas law to allow school districts to bill the Arkansas Medicaid Program for specific healthcare services provided to students. The bill outlines a list of reimbursable services, including vision and hearing screenings, as well as various direct nursing procedures such as medication administration, blood sugar monitoring, and specialized care like tracheostomy or stoma care. To be eligible for reimbursement, these services must be provided by a licensed healthcare professional supervised by a registered nurse and included in a student's individualized healthcare plan. The legislation mandates that any funds received through these Medicaid reimbursements must be used exclusively for school nurse services and salaries. The bill also formalizes the requirement for the Arkansas Medicaid Program to provide these reimbursements to school districts for eligible services rendered in a school setting.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries are Arkansas public school districts, which would gain a new revenue stream to fund nursing services and staff salaries. Additionally, students enrolled in the Arkansas Medicaid program with individualized healthcare needs would benefit from increased access to medical care and support services during the school day, as the funding allows schools to better sustain and staff essential nursing roles.
Who Might Suffer?
The primary entity negatively impacted is the Arkansas Medicaid Program (and by extension, the state's budget), which would face increased financial obligations and administrative burdens to process and pay these claims. Depending on how the program's overall budget is structured, an increase in expenditures for school-based services could potentially lead to adjustments in other Medicaid-funded programs or provider reimbursement rates to balance costs.
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