Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Federal Officials Approve Arkansas' Plan To Revamp Medicaid
Arkansas Online: Medicaid Gets U.S. Leeway, Governor Says
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday that federal officials have approved most of his proposed changes to the state's expanded Medicaid program, but they won't allow the state to offer as much help to businesses as he had hoped. He said he plans to pursue further changes next year under the administration of Donald Trump. (Davis, 12/8)
Arkansas Times Record: Hutchinson: Feds OK Arkansas Works With Changes
Hutchinson said there was "one sticking point" concerning his proposal to provide incentives to businesses to provide employer-sponsored insurance. "They allowed this and accepted that employer-sponsored insurance, but it was restricted to new additions, new employers that are for the first time offering insurance that we could provide the financial incentives," he said. "Mine was broader than what this administration wanted to give. It's more narrow, which impacts, really, the effectiveness." But Hutchinson said President Barack Obama's administration approved his proposals to require referral of unemployed recipients to voluntary worker training, require some recipients to pay small co-payments and stop making coverage retroactive for 90 days. (Lyon, 12/7)
