appropriations; dementia care; telementoring program

Plain English Breakdown

The exact number of healthcare providers participating is not specified and remains unknown.

Dementia Care Telementoring Program Funding

HB2202 provides $300,000 annually from the state General Fund for three years to fund a dementia care telementoring program run by the Department of Health Services.

What This Bill Does

• Provides $300,000 each year from the state's money for three years to support a dementia care telementoring program.
• Requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to give this money as a grant to an Arizona organization that can run such a program.
• The chosen organization must have experience with virtual mentoring, know about neurology and best practices in dementia detection, diagnosis, and care management, and be able to serve all parts of Arizona.
• The program will connect healthcare providers with content experts through video calls to share information on dementia care and best practices.
• It prioritizes improving health care provider education within rural and underserved communities.

Who It Names or Affects

• Healthcare providers across Arizona who can learn about dementia care from the telementoring program.
• The Department of Health Services which will manage the grant and oversee the program's implementation.

Terms To Know

Telementoring

Using technology like video calls to provide guidance or training over a distance.

General Fund

The main pot of money that the state uses for different programs and services.

Limits and Unknowns

• It is not clear how many healthcare providers will participate in the telementoring program.
• The program will end on December 31, 2029.

Official Summary Text

HB2202 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
�HHS
& ATT������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ FOR
COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
h.b. 2202

appropriations;
dementia care; telementoring program

Purpose

Appropriates
$300,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FYs 2027, 2028 and 2029 to
the Department of Health Services (DHS) to provide a grant to a qualified
organization to implement a dementia care telementoring program to disseminate
information to health care providers statewide regarding dementia care and best
practices.

Background

DHS promotes and
protects the health of residents and provides and coordinates public health
services and programs in Arizona. DHS may: 1) use outlined monies to contract
with entities for any project or service that may advance research into the
causes, epidemiology and diagnosis, formulation of cures, treatment or
prevention of diseases; 2) enter into research and development agreements,
royalty agreements, development agreements, licensing agreements and profit
sharing agreements regarding the research, development and production of new
products developed through DHS-funded research; and 3) obtain expert services
to assist in evaluating requests and proposals. DHS must review and evaluate
proposals or requests for projects and establish a mechanism to review the
contracts awarded to ensure that the monies are used in accordance with
approved proposals (A.R.S. ��
36-132

and
36-273
).

Dementia
is
a general term that covers a wide range of specific medical conditions,
including Alzheimer's disease. Disorders grouped under
dementia
are
caused by abnormal brain changes that can trigger a decline in cognitive
ability and may be severe enough to impair daily life, independent function and
affect behavior, feelings and relationships (
Alzheimer's
Association
).

H.B. 2202
appropriates $300,000 from the state GF in FYs 2027, 2028 and 2029 to DHS.

Provisions

1.

Appropriates $300,000 from the state GF in FYs 2027, 2028 and 2029 to
DHS to provide a grant to implement a dementia care telementoring program to
disseminate information regarding dementia care and best practices to health
care providers statewide.

2.

Requires
DHS to use the appropriated monies to provide a grant to an Arizona organization�
that demonstrates:

a)

experience operating telementoring programs;

b)

expertise in neurology and best practices in dementia detection,
diagnosis and care management; and

c)

capacity
to deliver services statewide.

3.

Requires the dementia care telementoring program to provide a virtual
connection for health care providers and content experts that includes
didactics, case studies and an emphasis on practice transformation and
systems-level issues that affect care delivery.

4.

Requires the dementia care telementoring program to serve Arizona communities
and prioritize improving health care provider education within rural and
underserved communities.

5.

Instructs DHS to ensure that the telementoring program is evidence-based
and reflects current best practices in dementia detection, diagnosis and care management.

6.

Requires
the organization that receives the grant to:

a)

develop and implement an outreach and recruitment plan to promote
participation and retention in the telementoring program;

b)

provide virtual, case-based telementoring sessions for health care
providers;

c)

offer continuing medical education or continuing education unit credits;
and

d)

collect
and report participation and outcomes data to DHS.

7.

Requires DHS to annually publish a summary report on its website.

8.

Repeals the dementia care telementoring program on January 1, 2030.

9.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

House Action

HHS��������������� 1/26/26����� DP���� 11-0-0-1

APPROP�������� 1/28/26����� DP���� 15-2-0-1

3
rd
Read��������� 2/25/26���������������� 39-15-6

Prepared by Senate Research

March 6, 2026

MM/SDR/hk

Current Bill Text

HB2202 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

appropriations;
dementia care; telementoring program

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2202

AN
ACT

Appropriating monies to the department of
health services.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.
Department of
health services; appropriations; grant; dementia care telementoring program;
annual report; delayed repeal

A. The sum of $300,000 is
appropriated from the state general fund in each of fiscal years 2026-2027,
2027-2028 and 2028-2029 to the department of health services to
provide a grant to implement a dementia care telementoring program to
disseminate information regarding dementia care and best practices to health
care providers statewide.

B. The department of health
services shall provide a grant with the monies appropriated pursuant to
subsection A of this section to an organization located in this state that
demonstrates all of the following:

1. Experience operating
telementoring programs.

2. Expertise in neurology
and best practices in dementia detection, diagnosis and care management.

3. Capacity to deliver
services statewide.

C. The dementia care
telementoring program shall provide a virtual connection for health care
providers and content experts and include didactics, case studies and an
emphasis on practice transformation and systems-level issues that affect care
delivery. The program shall serve communities in this state and shall
prioritize improving health care provider education within this state's rural
and underserved communities.� The department of health services shall ensure
that the telementoring program is evidence-based and reflects current
best practices in dementia detection, diagnosis and care management.

D. The organization that
receives the grant pursuant to subsection B of this section shall do all of the
following:

1. Develop and implement an
outreach and recruitment plan to promote participation and retention in the
telementoring program.

2. Provide virtual, case-based
telementoring sessions for health care providers.

3. Offer continuing medical
education or continuing education unit credits.

4. Collect and report
participation and outcomes data to the department.

E. The department of health
services shall annually publish a summary report on the department's public
website.

F. This section is repealed
from and after December 31, 2029.