Bill > H0655

This bill establishes a new provision in Idaho law that exempts certain physicians from prior authorization requirements for medically necessary services billed to Medicaid plans for a period of twelve months. To qualify for this exemption, a physician practicing in an eligible specialty, such as primary care, psychiatry, or obstetrics and gynecology, must provide at least 360 hours of preceptorship in a calendar year, with at least 60% of those hours spent in a qualified rural area, which are areas designated as having a shortage of primary care health professionals or being medically underserved. Physicians are responsible for tracking and reporting their preceptorship hours to the Department of Health and Welfare, which will then verify them and grant the exemption at the start of the following calendar year. The department can revoke this exemption if a review of a physician's claims indicates a decline in quality, but only after providing the physician with at least 25 days' notice. There is an annual limit of 100 physicians per eligible specialty who can receive this exemption, and the department is tasked with creating rules for a risk-weighted sampling system to oversee claim quality. The bill also declares an emergency and sets an effective date of July 1, 2026.

Health and Social Services

Health and Welfare Committee (House)

https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0655/