Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 348
4
5 By: Senator C. Penzo
6 By: Representative Pilkington
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE ANNUAL CAP FOR DIAGNOSTIC
10 LABORATORY SERVICES WITHIN THE ARKANSAS MEDICAID
11 PROGRAM; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER
12 PURPOSES.
13
14
15 Subtitle
16 TO AMEND THE ANNUAL CAP FOR DIAGNOSTIC
17 LABORATORY SERVICES WITHIN THE ARKANSAS
18 MEDICAID PROGRAM; AND TO DECLARE AN
19 EMERGENCY.
20
21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
22
23 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 20-77-147(b), concerning reimbursement for
24 diagnostic laboratory services is amended to read as follows:
25 (b) The program shall set the annual cap for:
26 (1) Diagnostic laboratory services, not including radiology
27 services, of at least:
28 (A) Five five hundred dollars ($500); or
29 (B) One thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,800) if the
30 beneficiary is diagnosed with chronic pain or is being treated for pain
31 management; and
32 (2) Radiology services of at least five hundred dollars ($500).
33
34 SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. Initial rules.
35 (a) The Department of Human Services shall promulgate rules necessary
36 to implement this act.
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SB348
1 (b) When adopting the initial rules to implement this act, the final
2 rules shall be filed with the Secretary of State for adoption under � 25-15-
3 204(f):
4 (1) On or before January 1, 2026; or
5 (2) If approval under � 10-3-309 has not occurred by January 1,
6 2026, as soon as practicable after approval under � 10-3-309.
7 (c) The department shall file the proposed rules with the Legislative
8 Council under � 10-3-309(c) sufficiently in advance of January 1, 2026, so
9 that the Legislative Council may consider the rules for approval before
10 January 1, 2026.
11
12 SECTION 3. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
13 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that there is an urgent need to
14 improve efficiency in diagnostic laboratory services within the Arkansas
15 Medicaid Program; that beneficiaries of the Arkansas Medicaid Program are
16 currently not being monitored adequately due to the low annual reimbursement
17 cap on diagnostic laboratory services; that inadequate monitoring due to the
18 low annual reimbursement cap on diagnostic laboratory services contributes to
19 the opioid epidemic through misuse and diversion of medications; that
20 inadequate monitoring due to the low annual reimbursement cap on diagnostic
21 laboratory services also contributes to increased emergency room visits; that
22 the Department of Human Services needs adequate time to draft rules, federal
23 waivers, Medicaid state plan amendments, or other authorization to ensure
24 that this act can be effective; and that this act is necessary to ensure the
25 health and safety of beneficiaries of the Arkansas Medicaid Program and to
26 enhance the patient care for beneficiaries of the Arkansas Medicaid Program.
27 Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and this act being necessary
28 for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become
29 effective on July 1, 2025.
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2 02/27/2025 2:19:49 PM JMB227Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.