Arkansas Code Title 23. Public Utilities and Regulated Industries § 23-79-1902. Interdisciplinary panel--University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

(a) The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has partnered with Arkansas Children's Hospital and the National Institute of Mental Health for the establishment and operation of a clinic that currently serves patients with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, also known as “PANS”, and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections, also known as “PANDAS”.

(c) An interdisciplinary team shall be established to create a protocol for the treatment of and diagnostic framework for the coverage of PANS and PANDAS by June 1, 2019, to allow for the assignment of an International Classification of Diseases code, such as an ICD-9 code or other applicable medical code for insurance coverage purposes.

(d) The interdisciplinary team shall report to the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor, the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor, the Senate Committee on Insurance and Commerce, and the House Committee on Insurance and Commerce no later than August 31, 2019.

(e) Once the interdisciplinary team determines appropriate diagnostic criteria for the protocol, a final report with recommendations shall be submitted to the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor, the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor, the Senate Committee on Insurance and Commerce, the House Committee on Insurance and Commerce, and the General Assembly to include recommendations concerning mandating insurance coverage for the treatment of PANS and PANDAS for the next scheduled regular session that convenes after the submission of the report or the Governor is encouraged to add the recommendation to the call of any special session that is convened before the next scheduled regular session.

(f) The expectation for the interdisciplinary team is that:

(g) The goal of the interdisciplinary team is to have the diagnostic criteria finalized and ready to be presented at the December 2019 meeting of the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor, the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor, the Senate Committee on Insurance and Commerce, and the House Committee on Insurance and Commerce.