Representative Mary Bentley

Meeting — April 1, 2025 (1:27:41)

ambulance gets there we want to have medication to make sure that they can take care of those constituents before something happens where they don't survive so anyway I take any questions if anybody has needed again emergency medication box in the detox center with licensed personnel on staff 24/7 I appreciate a good vote thank you representative Bentley has explained

Meeting — April 1, 2025 (1:27:10)

Our colleagues is a very simple bill to allow drug rehab treatments that have a a detox facility to have an emergency medical box there on site as long as they have a licensed medical personnel there to take care of the box. Lots of our nursing homes that are in rural areas will have an emergency medication box in case of cardiac arrest or seizure those type of things so this will be well monitored by our pharmacists. We've made some recommendations in there from the pharmacy board to make it to where they're approved of the bill but it's a very simple bill to allow them to have medications there on site. A lot of our areas like near me will be 45 minutes before

Meeting — April 1, 2025 (17:09)

- Colleagues, it's a simple amendment that I agree to redefine insurance companies, not to include dental, those that are applied for a trust fund, but it's a simple amendment that I agree to.

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:28:32)

you're recognized to close for your bill. I'm closed and

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:28:12)

Very simple bill. So just one line, making sure they've already had their 40 hours of training, they don't have to repeat it if they move to another company that they work for.

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:27:42)

Well, I think so. Right now in Arkansas, to be a licensed home health care worker takes 40 hours of training. And if these employees go from one employer to the next, right now there's not clarification. So some of them happen to redo that complete 40 hours of training, which makes it financially straining on the provider, the businesses, and a lot of extra time for the people that are working. So this just allows them to be a verification that they've already received their 40 hours of training and not have to repeat it.

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:27:34)

Chairman. Thank you, committee. This is House Bill 1854, a very simple bill, pro-business, pro-patient care, pro-worker bill.

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:13:15)

Matt Gilmore, Department of Health. Thank you for being here today. We haven't seen your smile on the face in a couple weeks, so we had to bring you to the front and center. Glad to be here. So looking at this bill, I know we've seen great success with our trauma system. Again, I think we're all trying to balance money right now with Medicaid and where we're at. So can you give some of the cost estimates that you think to get this started and to maintain it, and where would the funding come from for that?

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:12:59)

bring them up just real quick? Yeah. Department of Health.

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:12:11)

Thank you, Chairman. So thank you, Representative Johnson. I'll let you do them for maternal health and health across the state. I appreciate it. So do you see a cost for setting up the framework here? I'm just trying to

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (51:48)

that it was passed. Okay. Thank you, ma'am. Representative Bentley, you're recognized. Thank you, Chairman. So another quick question for DHS.

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (51:54)

Do you think this will this allow us to move maternal

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (46:24)

since she's there. So can you, do you believe this will bring some savings to the state? What is the impetus

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (46:31)

behind this that you guys want to see? So this

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (39:30)

motion? Representative Bentley, you recognize. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Representative Pilkin. I appreciate you always looking outside the box to move things forward. I'm just very hesitant at this point with the insecurity things that are going on in D.C., and I really appreciate you bringing this to us at this point. I'm just hesitant to

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (39:42)

do anything that would increase our costs on Medicaid, but thank you so much. I'll be a no, but I'll be happy to look at it in between times.

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (30:47)

being here this morning. I mean, we're all acutely aware of Medicaid costs at this point. I'm very hesitant to add any more costs to Medicaid that are not covered, especially with the uncertainty going on on the federal level right now. So is this anything that we have set aside money for? Do you have any concerns on this? I'd really appreciate

Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (31:04)

your thoughts on this at this point. So you have our fiscal impact statement.

Meeting — April 2, 2025 (1:13:00)

So, very simple bill. With that, I'll take any questions. Appreciate a good vote. Thanks. Representative Bentley

Meeting — April 2, 2025 (1:12:41)

colleagues is a very business friendly very patient care friendly and Business worker friendly actually just says if you're a caregiver in home caregiver And you get your 40 hours of training when you go from one company to another company You don't have to do those 40 hours all over again So just allows them to be certified in their 40 hours and this that's it not have to repeat it