Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Arkansas Lawmakers To Consider Medicaid Proposals
Arkansas Online: Two Bills On To-Do List, Lawmakers Await Call
The Arkansas General Assembly will convene in special session Wednesday to consider Gov. Asa Hutchinson's managed-care legislation that's divided some lawmakers, plus another bill overhauling the state's private-option program into what Hutchinson calls Arkansas Works. Under the private option, the state uses federal Medicaid dollars to purchase private health insurance for low-income Arkansans. Most of the approximately 267,000 Arkansans on the expanded Medicaid program are on the private option. (Wickline, 4/3)
The Associated Press: A Look At Medicaid Proposals Before Arkansas Lawmakers
Hutchinson is proposing renaming the program "Arkansas Works" and wants to add new restrictions that he says will help participants move up the economic ladder. He says participants who make at least 100 percent of the federal poverty level should pay a premium equal to 2 percent of their income. The legislation would require participants 21 and older enroll in employer health insurance, if available and if the employer agrees to participate, with the program paying for premiums and co-pays. The bill would also require that unemployed participants be referred to the Department of Workforce Services for job training and job search programs. (DeMillo, 4/3)
