The Joint Budget Committee of the Arkansas General Assembly recently rejected an increase in state funding for the Arkansas Better Chance pre-K program for fiscal year 2016. This marks the eighth straight year without an increase, a cut once...
The wisest investment Arkansas can make in its people is to provide quality pre-K. Arkansas is a poor state where almost one-third of our children live in poverty and more than 60 percent are eligible for free and reduced...
The last funding increase for pre-K in Arkansas kicked in on the first day of fiscal year 2008, which would have been July 1, 2007. For a program that’s proven to be such a powerful tool, that’s way too...
Last year, more than 700 assisters were trained and licensed to help consumers enroll in coverage offered through the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace and Arkansas’s Private Option. The experience of enrollment assisters provides an important perspective for...
Beginning on October 1, 2013, more than 500,000 uninsured Arkansans had a new opportunity to access comprehensive and affordable health coverage through the Affordable Care Act and Arkansas’s Private Option. More than 44,000 people signed up for coverage through the Health...
The Private Option has helped over 211,000 adults gain access to affordable coverage. This bi-partisan measure to extend health care insurance to thousands of Arkansas allows eligible adults (19-64 years) to purchase private plans with Medicaid funds. The success...
The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) recently submitted waiver amendments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make several changes to the Private Option beginning February 1, 2015. As required by Act 257 of...
A state-level refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the most widely accepted and successful methods of fighting poverty and encouraging workforce participation. A state-level EITC in Arkansas would promote economic opportunity and ensure that all Arkansans families...
5 things you should know about the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) 1. Both sides of the aisle are singing the praises of EITC programs. Since its inception, the EITC has received broad bipartisan approval because it supports working Americans...
The Private Option has increased payments to Arkansas Hospitals and reduced the number of uninsured patients treated. Last week, the Arkansas Hospital Association and Arkansas Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association released a study that took a look...