§ 8-512 — Comprehensive medical and dental care; guidelines

A. The department shall provide comprehensive medical and dental care, including behavioral health services, as prescribed by rules of the department, for each child who is:

1. In a voluntary placement pursuant to section 8-806.

2. In the custody of the department in an out-of-home placement.

3. In the custody of a probation department and placed in foster care. The department shall not provide this care if the cost exceeds funds currently appropriated and available for that purpose.

B. The comprehensive medical and dental care consists of those benefits provided by the Arizona health care cost containment system benefit as prescribed in title 36, chapter 29, article 1 and as set forth in the approved medicaid state plan.

C. The department shall require providers to submit claims for medical and dental services pursuant to section 36-2903.01.

D. The department shall require that the provider pursue other third party payors before submitting a claim to the department. Payment received by a provider from the department is considered payment by the department of the department's liability for the bill. A provider may collect any unpaid portion of its bill from other third party payors or in situations covered by title 33, chapter 7, article 3.

E. The department shall not pay claims for services pursuant to this section that are submitted more than one hundred eighty days after the date of the service for which the payment is claimed.

F. The department may provide for payment through an insurance plan, hospital service plan, medical service plan, or any other health service plan authorized to do business in this state, fiscal intermediary or a combination of such plans or methods. The state shall not be liable for and the department shall not pay to any plan or intermediary any portion of the cost of comprehensive medical and dental care in excess of funds appropriated and available for such purpose at the time the plan or intermediary incurs the expense for such care.

G. The total amount of state monies that may be spent in any fiscal year by the department for comprehensive medical and dental care shall not exceed the amount appropriated or authorized by section 35-173 for that purpose. This section shall not be construed to impose a duty on an officer, agent or employee of this state to discharge a responsibility or to create any right in a person or group if the discharge or right would require an expenditure of state monies in excess of the expenditure authorized by legislative appropriation for that specific purpose.