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Committee approves resolution asking DHS to seek Medicaid waiver for inpatient substance‑use treatment
Summary
House Bill 1559 asks the Department of Human Services to seek a Medicaid waiver to cover inpatient treatment for substance use disorders; DHS staff said the agency has submitted the waiver and the bill is intended to ensure legislative oversight and implementation.
Representative Richmond Brew and Paula Stone of the Department of Human Services presented House Bill 1559, which asks the Department of Human Services (DHS) to pursue a Medicaid waiver to cover inpatient treatment for substance-use disorders.
Paula Stone, representing DHS, said the department had already submitted a waiver application and that the bill is intended to keep the legislature informed and ensure the state proceeds with implementation if federal approval is granted. "One of the things dependent upon CMS's approval, of the waiver and then our ability to implement," Stone told the committee.
Representative Pilkington asked why the waiver had not already been requested; Stone and Brew replied that the waiver had been submitted in a timely fashion but that the bill provides legislative oversight and a statutory mechanism to track implementation, reporting and next steps if CMS approves the waiver.
Representative Henley moved a do-pass recommendation and the committee approved the bill by voice vote. Committee members emphasized the shortfall in treatment funding in Arkansas and said the bill would facilitate later implementation and oversight if the waiver is approved.
The transcript does not include a roll-call tally and does not provide implementation timelines or dollar amounts in committee testimony.
