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BILL # HB 2447 |
TITLE: insurance; reimbursement rates; nurse anesthetist |
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SPONSOR: Lopez |
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PREPARED BY: Chandler Coiner |
STATUS: As Introduced |
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The bill would prohibit a health plan from imposing a reimbursement rate for authorized Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) services that differs from the reimbursement rate for licensed physicians.
Estimated Impact
We estimate this bill could impact state employee health insurance costs if either of the state plan's insurance carriers currently reimburse CRNAs at a different rate than physicians. At a February 9, 2026 House Health & Human Services meeting, there was testimony that the state plan's insurance carriers do currently reimburse CRNAs/physicians at different rates. However, we are seeking confirmation of this from the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA). We have also asked ADOA for its estimate of the bill's fiscal impact, but we have not yet received a response. Without more information from the agency, we are unable to determine the fiscal impact.
To the extent the bill increases state health plan costs, because the General Fund pays approximately 50% of the employer share of the state health plan, we assume the General Fund would cover 50% of those costs. We also estimate this bill could have a fiscal impact on local government health plans and health care premium tax collections, but we lack the necessary data on the extent to which these plans reimburse CRNAs/physicians at different rates. The bill does not affect the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).
2/19/26