SB196 Summary

• Establishes maximum of 261 regular employees for the Department of Human Services - Division of Medical Services for fiscal year 2017-2018, with positions ranging from Director (Grade N915) to Administrative Specialist I (Grade C106).

• Authorizes $24,131,487 in appropriations for operations including $12,975,326 for regular salaries, $4,426,208 for personal services matching, and operating expenses for conferences, travel, and professional fees.

• Appropriates $8,256,242,018 for grant payments covering ARKids B Program ($132,222,020), Hospital and Medical Services ($6,660,893,014), Prescription Drugs ($517,701,197), Private Nursing Home Care ($703,607,064), and other health services.

• Appropriates $50,000 from Long-Term Care Trust Fund for nursing home closure costs, $100,000 for long-term care facility receivership expenses, and $1,000,000 for nursing home quality grants.

• Includes special language restricting appropriations for marketing the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace or Arkansas Works program and requiring pharmaceutical dispensing fee surveys based on cost of dispensing principles.