Bill > HB1826

This bill mandates that health insurance plans in Arkansas provide equal coverage for birthing services at licensed birthing centers as they do for hospital births, starting January 1, 2026. Specifically, the bill defines key terms such as "enrollee" (an individual covered by a healthcare insurer), "health benefit plan" (various types of health insurance coverage), and "licensed birthing center" (a birthing center licensed by the Department of Health). The legislation requires that coverage for birthing services at these centers cannot be subject to higher deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, or out-of-pocket limits compared to hospital births, and it does not reduce or limit existing health plan benefits. The bill also grants the Insurance Commissioner and the Secretary of the Department of Human Services the authority to develop rules for implementing these requirements, with specific provisions for the Arkansas Medicaid Program and the Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me Program. The goal is to provide more flexibility and choice for expecting mothers by ensuring that birthing center deliveries are treated equivalently to hospital deliveries in terms of insurance coverage.

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https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1826&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R