Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative: Revised Data Submission Guidelines

* Hugh McDonald SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AID V * * A:7Zr". 4' Bulletin No. 16-2025 To: Jimmy Harris COMMISSIONER, ARKANSAS INSURANCE DEPARTMENT All Licensed Healthcare Insurers, Health Maintenance Organizations, Hospital Medical Service Corporations, Third Party Administrators, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Publicly Funded Colleges and Universities or Government Health and Drug Plans Which are Self-Funded, and Other Interested Parties From: Arkansas Insurance Department Date: December 5, 2025 Re: Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative: Revised Data Submission Guidelines The Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) issues this update under the authority of Arkansas Code § 23-61-901 et seq. On October 1, 2025, through Bulletin 12-2025, AID released a revised draft of the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative's All-Payer Claims Database (APCD) Data Submission Guide (DSG) 8.0.2022 for public comment. The comment period remained open through October 31, 2025. AID received several comments during this period. The AID Commissioner and the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) reviewed all submissions and incorporated revisions into Draft DSG 9.0.2025. Following this review, AID and the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative (AHTI) Board made additional changes to Draft DSG 9.0.2025. Material revisions were made in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Code of Arkansas Rules, 23 CAR pt. 131 and § 131-106(b). The AHTI Board approved the revised DSG at its meeting on October 22, 2025. The final DSG 9.0.2025 supersedes DSG 8.0.2022 and is hereby approved by the Commissioner of the Arkansas Insurance Department. Arkansas Department of Commerce Arkansas Insurance Department 1 Commerce Way, Suite 102 • Little Rock, AR 72202 INSURANCE.ARKANSAS.GOV Hugh McDonald SECRETARY OF COMMERCE Jimmy Harris COMMISSIONER, ARKANSAS INSURANCE DEPARTMENT Bulletin No. 16-2025 To: All Licensed Healthcare Insurers, Health Maintenance Organizations, Hospital Medical Service Corporations, Third Party Administrators, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Publicly Funded Colleges and Universities or Government Health and Drug Plans Which are Self-Funded, and Other Interested Parties From: Arkansas Insurance Department Date: December 5, 2025 Re: Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative: Revised Data Submission Guidelines The Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) issues this update under the authority of Arkansas Code § 23-61-901 et seq. On October 1, 2025, through Bulletin 12-2025, AID released a revised draft of the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative’s All-Payer Claims Database (APCD) Data Submission Guide (DSG) 8.0.2022 for public comment. The comment period remained open through October 31, 2025. AID received several comments during this period. The AID Commissioner and the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) reviewed all submissions and incorporated revisions into Draft DSG 9.0.2025. Following this review, AID and the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative (AHTI) Board made additional changes to Draft DSG 9.0.2025. Material revisions were made in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Code of Arkansas Rules, 23 CAR pt. 131 and § 131-106(b). The AHTI Board approved the revised DSG at its meeting on October 22, 2025. The final DSG 9.0.2025 supersedes DSG 8.0.2022 and is hereby approved by the Commissioner of the Arkansas Insurance Department. Key Revisions in DSG 9.0.2025 1. Separation of technical submission instructions into the Arkansas HTI Technical Reference Guide (TRG). 2. Lookup data are no longer required for submission if specialty codes (MC032, MC212) are taxonomy codes and/or CMS Medicare codes. 3. Formerly proposed future data for pharmacy benefit managers and supplemental files have been removed and will not be implemented. 4. Updated and/or clarified definitions for many data elements, including but not limited to: a. Control counts criteria b. Closed enrollment criteria c. Prohibition of the use of system default dates d. Value alignment when the same data element is found across file types e. New or revised dependencies 5. Data integrity audit (DIA) data requirements have been removed (this has been replaced by internal processes). 6. Updated appendices with refreshed links. 7. Removal of unused data elements from all claim types. These are replaced with placeholder data elements. 8. Addition of new data elements for all claim types to align with the APCD Council Common Data Layout. 9. Many data elements that were formerly labeled optional are now required. 10. Inclusion of denied claim lines and new data elements to support denied claims processing. 11. Inclusion of Non-Claims Payments requirements as a new file type in the Arkansas HTI Supplemental Data Submission Guide Data (SDSG) document. 12. Inclusion of Pharmacy Rebate data requirements as a new file type in the Arkansas HTI Supplemental Data Submission Guide Data (SDSG) document. Please direct any questions or inquiries about the DSG 9.0.2025 or this Bulletin to arapcd@uams.edu. Jimmy Harris Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Key Revisions in DSG 9.0.2025 1. Separation of technical submission instructions into the Arkansas HTI Technical Reference Guide (TRG). 2. Lookup data are no longer required for submission if specialty codes (MC032, MC212) are taxonomy codes and/or CMS Medicare codes. 3. Formerly proposed future data for pharmacy benefit managers and supplemental files have been removed and will not be implemented. 4. Updated and/or clarified definitions for many data elements, including but not limited to: a. Control counts criteria b. Closed enrollment criteria c. Prohibition of the use of system default dates d. Value alignment when the same data element is found across file types e. New or revised dependencies 5. Data integrity audit (DIA) data requirements have been removed (this has been replaced by internal processes). 6. Updated appendices with refreshed links. 7. Removal of unused data elements from all claim types. These are replaced with placeholder data elements. 8. Addition of new data elements for all claim types to align with the APCD Council Common Data Layout. 9. Many data elements that were formerly labeled optional are now required. 10. Inclusion of denied claim lines and new data elements to support denied claims processing. 11. Inclusion of Non-Claims Payments requirements as a new file type in the Arkansas HTI Supplemental Data Submission Guide Data (SDSG) document. 12. Inclusion of Pharmacy Rebate data requirements as a new file type in the Arkansas HTI Supplemental Data Submission Guide Data (SDSG) document. Please direct any questions or inquiries about the DSG 9.0.2025 or this Bulletin to arapcd@uams.edu. Jimmy Harris Arkansas Insurance Commissioner