medicaid; dental benefit study committee

Plain English Breakdown

The official text notes a potential fiscal impact on the state General Fund but does not quantify it or confirm if costs will rise.

SB1372: Equal Reimbursement Rules for Nurse Anesthetists

This law stops health insurers from paying nurse anesthetists less than doctors, with exceptions for private equity-owned practices and quality-based adjustments.

What This Bill Does

• Prohibits insurance companies from setting a lower payment rate for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) compared to physicians when issuing or renewing contracts.
• Allows insurers to adjust payment rates based on the quality of care or performance measures.
• Exempts CRNAs who work in practices owned by private equity firms from this equal-pay rule.

Who It Names or Affects

• Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) authorized to perform anesthesia services
• Hospital service corporations and medical service corporations issuing subscription contracts
• Health care services organizations issuing evidence of coverage
• Disability insurers offering individual, group, or blanket policies

Terms To Know

Subscription contract

An agreement between an insurer and a provider to deliver health services for a set fee.

Reimbursement rate

The amount of money an insurance company pays a doctor or nurse for medical care.

Private equity

Investment firms that buy ownership stakes in companies, including medical practices.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not apply to CRNAs employed by private equity-owned practices.
• Changes may affect the state's General Fund if they alter reimbursement amounts for services covered under the state health plan.
• The specific date when these rules begin is listed as the general effective date, which has not been set in this text.

Official Summary Text

SB1372 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
HHS���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS
PASSED BY HOUSE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1372

medicaid;
dental benefit study committee

(
NOW: hospital;
nurse anesthetist; subscription contract
)

As passed by the
Senate, S.B. 1372 established the Medicaid Adult Comprehensive Dental Benefit
Study Committee to evaluate the feasibility, cost, long-term fiscal impacts and
public health outcomes associated with expanding Arizona Health Care Cost Containment
System coverage to include comprehensive dental care.

The House of
Representatives adopted a strike-everything amendment that does the following:

Purpose

Prohibits a
health insurer that issues, amends or renews a subscription contract from
imposing a reimbursement rate for a certified registered nurse anesthetist
(CRNA) that differs from the reimbursement rate for a physician.

Background

The Department
of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI) regulates policies,
certificates, evidences of coverage and contracts of insurance (insurance
policies) issued or delivered by insurers. Every insurer that offers individual
health insurance coverage in the individual market in Arizona must provide
guaranteed availability of coverage to eligible individuals who desire to
enroll in individual health insurance coverage (
A.R.S.
� 20-1379
).

A CRNA is an
advanced practice registered nurse who is authorized to administer anesthetics
under the direction of and in the presence of a physician or surgeon under
specified circumstances. A CRNA may issue medication orders, assess a patient's
risk of anesthetic treatment, obtain informed consent, order and evaluate laboratory
tests and diagnostic imaging, develop and implement anesthetic care plans, respond
to emergency situations and perform therapeutic procedures (
A.R.S.
� 32-1634.04
).

If limiting a health insurer's ability to
reimburse CRNAs at a different rate than physicians changes reimbursement
amounts for services covered under the state health plan, there may be a fiscal
impact to the state General Fund.

Provisions

1.

Prohibits a health insurer that issues, amends or renews a subscription
contract from imposing a reimbursement rate for a CRNA that differs from the
reimbursement rate for a licensed medical or osteopathic physician.

2.

Specifies that a health insurer is not prevented from establishing
variable reimbursement rates that are based on quality or performance-based
measures.

3.

Specifies that the reimbursement rate restriction does not apply to a CRNA
who is employed by a practice that is owned by private equity.

4.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by the
House of Representatives

�

Adopted the strike-everything amendment relating to CRNA
reimbursement rates.

Senate Action
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House
Action

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Prepared by Senate Research

April 9, 2026

MM/MS/hk

Current Bill Text

SB1372 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed
Senate Bill

medicaid;
dental benefit study committee

(now: hospital;
nurse anesthetist; subscription contract)

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1372

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 registered
nurse anesthetists.

(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;
applicability

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.

C. This section does not apply to a
certified registered nurse anesthetist who is employed by a practice that is
owned by private equity.
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;
applicability

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.

C. This section does not apply to a
certified registered nurse anesthetist who is employed by a practice that is
owned by private equity.
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;
applicability

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.

C. This section does not apply to a
certified registered nurse anesthetist who is employed by a practice that is
owned by private equity.
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; applicability

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.

C. This section does not apply to a
certified registered nurse anesthetist who is employed by a practice that is
owned by private equity.
END_STATUTE