Since we first examined the managed care issue in 2015, a few important developments have occurred. In December 2015, the Health Reform Legislative Task Force released its preliminary report, and two models have been proposed to restructure the Medicaid...
The year 2015 was a milestone year of political change in Arkansas. Because of term limits and the changing political landscape at the state capitol, we lost many of our long-time champions of children’s issues on both sides of the political...
In 2013, one out of four Arkansans did not have health insurance. Arkansas faced a looming Medicaid budget shortfall, all while more than 500,000 Arkansans were without health coverage. That year, Arkansas made history by passing bipartisan legislation called the Health...
Currently, the health care issues in the forefront are the Private Option (or newly coined Arkansas Works) program and whether we will adopt a Medicaid managed care model, which will continue to be debated by the Health Care Reform...
If you missed the blogs on managed care and private option changes, check those out before reading this final blog in our series on health care reform. Today, we will look at work requirements in Medicaid. After months of...
We’ve previously recapped options to change the Private Option that the Health Reform Legislative Task Force will consider recommending to the Governor by the end of the year. Among these changes two common themes have emerged: increasing personal responsibility...
Consultants for Health Care Reform Task Force released a new report recommending the Private Option become a transitional or temporary program focused on “moving people upward” to opportunities. This is on the heels of an earlier report noting the...
Rewa Harris-Sparks of Fayetteville works hard for her family. She still cannot afford health insurance. Thanks to the Private Option, she’s covered. “I do have a job. I work very hard every day,” Rewa says in the video. “Although...
More than 130,000 Arkansans benefiting from the state’s decision to accept Medicaid expansion work in industries that are the foundation of the state’s economy. Those on the state’s Private Option work in jobs ranging from sales and food service...
The following is a statement from Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: AACF is pleased with today’s announcement that the state of Arkansas must give Medicaid and Private Option clients 30 days to respond to notices...