SB1233

THE CONTEXT: DHS serves as the agency responsible for licensing and oversight of all health care institutions in Arizona, including enforcement of statutes, rules and regulations governing health care institutions. DHS may review and approve plans and specifications, access books and records and conduct inspections and investigations to determine compliance with licensing standards ( A.

WHAT THE BILL DID: Requires the Department of Health Services (DHS), Arizona Health Care Cost Containment (AHCCCS) and Department of Economic Security (DES) to allow licensed or contracted facilities an opportunity to cure administrative deficiencies before taking disciplinary or enforcement action.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to make the government process for administrative deficiencies more definite and accountable. It would stipulate that an agency may only take disciplinary or enforcement action against a contracted or licensed facility identified as having only administrative deficiencies if the agency grants the facility 72 hours to cure the deficiencies, and would also define administrative deficiency as a violation that does not impact a patient or resident physically or psychosocially and that has no potential to physically or psychosocially harm the patient or resident, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.