MEDICAID – Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding Medicaid prior authorization exemptions for certain preceptorships.

This Idaho bill (H 655) exempts physicians in primary care, psychiatry, or OB/GYN from needing prior approval for Medicaid-covered services if they provide 360+ hours of unpaid mentoring (preceptorship) to graduate students annually, with at least 60% of those hours in rural shortage areas. Physicians must track and report hours to the state health department, which verifies eligibility and grants a 12-month exemption starting the next calendar year. The exemption is limited to 100 physicians per specialty yearly, and the state can revoke it if claims review shows insufficient adherence to the program. This directly affects Idaho physicians mentoring students in rural areas, aiming to reduce administrative barriers for rural healthcare training.