Lawmakers given time to vet $600,000 outlay

The Arkansas Legislative Council voted Friday to allow legislators more time to review a request to add $600,000 to a contract with a company that works with doctors to improve coordination of patient care.

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The council unanimously approved a request by Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, to allow the council's review subcommittee to have final review of the request at its Oct. 1 meeting.

"I was the one who had requested not to review one of the contracts and requested information on Wednesday," Irvin said Friday. "And I would like additional time to work with the folks at Qualis, and [the Department of Human Services], and [the Division of Medical Services] and have been in contact working on this."

Several legislators raised questions about the expense at the Sept. 4 subcommittee meeting when the Department of Human Services made the request to cover increased costs in the contract with Seattle-based Qualis Health, which ends at the end of December. The contract is part of the state's patient-centered medical home initiative.

The initiative encourages medical practices to take steps to make sure patients get preventive health screenings, to coordinate care among providers and provide round-the-clock access to medical providers, among other best practices. The initiative offers those practices a small quarterly payment for each patient, which averages about $4 per month, to take those steps.

Under the contract, Qualis helps medical practices meet those requirements. But more practices than anticipated signed onto the program -- 70 percent of eligible practices instead of the estimated 40 percent -- and the state is expecting to spend more than what was allocated under the original contract. The department anticipated needing about $400,000 to finish the year, but asked for $600,000 to avoid a gap in funding.

Legislators, however, raised concerns about how the company was chosen, how many Arkansans were employed with the company and whether the company was delivering the services promised.

Subcommittee Chairman Sen. David Sanders said Friday that he supported the motion to gather information and postpone consideration until Oct. 1. The state will pay Qualis about $150,000 at the end of this month, leaving the fund unable to cover expenses at the end of October.

A section on 09/20/2014

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