This bill establishes a process by which the Department of Health and Human Services maintains a schedule of MaineCare program reimbursement rate reviews in which each rate is reviewed at least every 5 years. Under this process, the department reviews a rate for access, service, quality and use of service and compares the rate reimbursed with available benchmarks, including Medicare rates and usual and customary rates paid by private parties, and uses qualitative tools to assess whether reimbursements are sufficient to allow for provider retention and recipient access and to support appropriate reimbursement of high-value services. The department is required to provide a report of its review to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs, the MaineCare Independent Rate Commission, a 24-member group of interested parties providing oversight of the rate review process, and stakeholders. After holding public meetings and consulting stakeholders and stakeholder groups and consultation with the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of the Budget, the department makes recommendations on the MaineCare reimbursement rates to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs to assist in developing the department’s budget.