insurance; reimbursement rates; nurse anesthetist

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how existing contracts and policies will be affected before the bill's enactment.

Insurance Reimbursement for Nurse Anesthetists

This bill requires health insurance companies to pay the same rates for services provided by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) as they do for licensed physicians.

What This Bill Does

• Requires health insurers not to charge different reimbursement rates for CRNA services compared to those charged for licensed doctors' services when issuing, amending or renewing contracts or policies after the bill's effective date.
• Allows insurers to set variable rates based on quality or performance measures but not otherwise discriminate between CRNAs and doctors.

Who It Names or Affects

• Health care insurers who issue, amend, or renew contracts or policies for disability insurance, group disability insurance, blanket disability insurance, health care services organizations, hospital service corporations, and medical service corporations.
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) providing medical services.

Terms To Know

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

A nurse with specialized training in administering anesthesia and related care.

Reimbursement rate

The amount an insurance company pays for medical services provided by a healthcare provider.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify the effective date of the bill.
• Does not address how existing contracts and policies will be affected before the bill's enactment.

Official Summary Text

HB2447 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

House:
HHS DP 9-3-0-0

HB
2447
: insurance; reimbursement rates; nurse anesthetist

Sponsor:
Representative Lopez, LD 16

House
Engrossed

Overview

Prohibits health care insurers
that issue, amend or renew a contract or policy from
imposing a reimbursement rate
for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) services that differ from the
reimbursement rates for licensed physicians.

History

Health care insurers
include disability insurers, group disability
insurers, blanket disability insurers, health care services organizations,
hospital service corporations and medical service corporations (A.R.S. �
20-1379
).

The Arizona Board
of Nursing is responsible for the regulation and licensure of CRNAs in Arizona.

A CRNA may administer anesthetics under the direction and presence
of a physician or surgeon in connection with the preoperative, intraoperative
or postoperative care of a patient or as part of a procedure performed by a
physician or surgeon in the following settings: 1) a health care institution;
2) an office of a medical doctor, osteopathic physician, dentist or podiatrist;
and 3) an ambulance. A CRNA may do the following as part of the care for a
patient: 1) issue a medication order for drugs; 2) assess the health status of
a patient as it relates to the relative risks associated with anesthetic
management; 3) obtain informed consent; 4) order and evaluate laboratory and
diagnostic test results and perform point-of-care testing that the CRNA is
qualified to perform; 5) order and evaluate radiographic imaging studies that
the CRNA is qualified to order and interpret; 6) identify, develop, implement
and evaluate an anesthetic plan of care for a patient; 7) take necessary action
in response to an emergency situation; and 8) perform any qualified therapeutic
procedures ���������
(A.R.S.
��
32-1634.03
and
32-1634.04
).

The Arizona
Medical Board is responsible for the regulation and licensure of medical
doctors who meet specified licensure requirements. The Arizona Board of
Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery is responsible for the regulation
and licensure of osteopathic physicians who meet specified licensure
requirements (A.R.S. �
32-1422
and
32-1822
).

Provisions

1.

Prohibits a
health care insurer that issues, amends or renews a contract or policy on or
after the general effective date of this legislation, from imposing a
reimbursement rate for authorized CRNA services that differs from the
reimbursement rates for licensed medical doctors or osteopathic physicians.
(Sec. 1-4)

2.

Clarifies
this legislation does not prevent a health care insurer from establishing
variable reimbursement rates that are based on quality or performance-based
measures.������������ (Sec. 1-4)

3.

4.

5.

---------- DOCUMENT
FOOTER ---------

6.

Initials AG/LK��������������� HB
2447

7.

3/2/2026��� Page 0 House
Engrossed

8.

9.

---------- DOCUMENT
FOOTER ---------

Current Bill Text

HB2447 - 572R - H Ver

*Sponsorship has changed
since the bill was introduced

House Engrossed

insurance;
reimbursement rates; nurse anesthetist

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2447

AN
ACT

amending title 20, chapter 4, article 3,
arizona revised statutes, by adding section 20-841.14; amending title 20,
chapter 4, article 9, arizona revised statutes, by adding SECTION 20-1057.21;
amending title 20, chapter 6, article 4, arizona revised statutes, by adding
section 20-1376.11; amending title 20, chapter 6, article 5, arizona
revised statutes, by adding section 20-1406.11; relating to health
insurance.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 20, chapter 4, article 3,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 20-841.14, to read:

START_STATUTE
20-841.14.

Certified registered nurse anesthetist; reimbursement rate

A. A hospital service corporation or
medical service corporation that issues, amends or renews a subscription
contract on or after the effective date of this section may not impose a
reimbursement rate for a certified registered nurse anesthetist who is
authorized to perform services pursuant to section 32-1634.04 that
differs from the reimbursement rate for a physician who is licensed pursuant to
title 32, chapter 13 or 17.

B. This section does not prevent a
hospital service corporation or medical service corporation from establishing
variable reimbursement rates that are based on quality or performance-based
measures.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Title 20, chapter 4, article 9, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 20-1057.21, to read:

START_STATUTE
20-1057.21.

Certified registered nurse anesthetist; reimbursement rate

A. A health care services
organization that issues, amends or renews an evidence of coverage on or after
the effective date of this section may not impose a reimbursement rate for a
certified registered nurse anesthetist who is authorized to perform services
pursuant to section 32-1634.04 that differs from the reimbursement rate
for a physician who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or 17.

B. This section does not prevent a
health care services organization from establishing variable reimbursement
rates that are based on quality or performance-based measures.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 3. Title 20, chapter 6, article 4, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 20-1376.11, to read:

START_STATUTE
20-1376.11.

Certified registered nurse anesthetist; reimbursement rate

A. A disability insurer that issues,
amends or renews a policy on or after the effective date of this section may
not impose a reimbursement rate for a certified registered nurse anesthetist
who is authorized to perform services pursuant to section 32-1634.04 that
differs from the reimbursement rate for a physician who is licensed pursuant to
title 32, chapter 13 or 17.

B. This section does not prevent a
disability insurer from establishing variable reimbursement rates that are
based on quality or performance-based measures.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 4. Title
20, chapter 6, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
section 20-1406.11, to read:

START_STATUTE
20-1406.11.

Certified registered nurse anesthetist; reimbursement rate

A. A group or blanket disability insurer that issues,
amends or renews a policy on or after the effective date of this section may
not impose a reimbursement rate for a certified registered nurse anesthetist
who is authorized to perform services pursuant to section 32-1634.04 that
differs from the reimbursement rate for a physician who is licensed pursuant to
title 32, chapter 13 or 17.

B. This section does not prevent a
group or blanket disability insurer from establishing variable reimbursement
rates that are based on quality or performance-based measures.
END_STATUTE