community health centers
HB 2194 creates a community mental health program and allocates $2.5 million annually from the tobacco tax and health care fund medically needy account to the Department of Health Services [DHS] for the program’s establishment.
Current law defines qualifying community health centers as a community based primary care facility that provides medical care in medically underserved areas or medically underserved populations [ARS 36-2907.06]. HB 2194 allows for Regional Behavioral Health Authorities [RBHA], contracted by the Department of Health Services [DHS], to subcontract with qualifying community health centers. The subcontracted health centers would provide services to uninsured Arizona residents who are ineligible for Title XIX [Medicare] and who are from families with income up to 200 per cent of the federal poverty level. In addition, it would provide for the integration of primary care and behavioral health care services.
· Designates AHCCCS to allocate, as the fourth order of priority, $2.5 million annually from the tobacco tax and health care fund medically needy account to DHS for the establishment of a community mental health program.
· Requires AHCCCS to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with DHS to contract with regional behavioral health authorities [RBHA] to integrate behavioral health and primary care services for uninsured and underinsured patients of qualifying community health centers and outlines agreement goals.
· Stipulates the patients must:
-be residents of Arizona
-be uninsured or have exhausted all their behavioral health benefits
-not be eligible for Title XIX services
-be from families receiving an income less than 200 per cent of the federal poverty level.
· Designates RBHA to subcontract with all qualifying community health centers that provide the following:
-prescribed mental and psychiatric services
-mental health counseling
-case management
-outreach services
-prescription services
-needed transportation
-collaboration between patient’s primary care provider and the behavioral health provider
· Requires services to be provided at a qualifying community health center or location agreed to by the RBHA and the center.
· Specifies eligible patients be charged for services based on a DHS approved sliding fee schedule.
· Requires contracting RBHAs and qualifying community health centers submit information to DHS for annual tobacco tax program evaluations.
· Sunsets the program on July 1, 2011.
· Defines qualifying community health center.
HB 2194 passed in the
Health Committee unamended.
HB 2194 was amended
in the Appropriations Committee as follows:
· Lowers the allocation from $5 million to $2.5 million.
HB 2194 was amended in the Committee of the Whole as follows:
· The Appropriations Committee amendment was adopted.
· The Rules Committee recommendation to end the program on July 1, 2011 was adopted.
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44th Legislature
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Second Regular Session 2 March
30, 2001
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