Medicare and medicaid issues arkansas attorney general. In approving arkansass medicaid section 1115 demonstration, the department of health and human services hhs gave the state the authority to test whether providing premium assistance to purchase private coverage offered on the health insurance exchange will improve access to care for individuals newly eligible for medicaid as a result of the patient protection and affordable care act. Arkansas blue cross and blue shield blue cross blue shield. The trump administration on monday approved arkansas request for a medicaid work requirement but deferred a decision on the states request to roll back its medicaid expansion that has added. Arkansas officials initially predicted that no more than 215,000 ablebodied adults would ever enroll in its medicaid expansion. Also, the 18,164 disenrollments from arkansas works through december 2018 are roughly one in four not 30 percent of the enrollees subject to work requirements. How many uninsured adults would not be eligible for medicaid, urban. Washington, arkansas, and colorado all experienced a more than doubling of the percentage enrolled in. The use of section 1115 waivers to implement medicaid expansion under the aca aca implementationmonitoring and tracking jane b. Arkansas private option quarterly report janmar 2014 pdf, new window.
How arkansas is expanding medicaid without actually expanding medicaid. Arkansas managed care program features, as of 20 medicaid. The authority under 1932a1a under hifa was dissolved by the state because this population would become eligible for the marketplace or medicaid expansion. Esi was adopted by arkansas medicaid in 2010 as the arkansas health insurance premium payment hipp program. In arkansas, the arkansas department of human services dhs division of medical services dms is the agency that administers the states medicaid program. Select covered over the counter medications are covered pursuant to a valid prescription, but are not. The attestation deadline for program year 2019 is march 30, 2020. Medicaid reimburses health care providers for covered medical services provided to eligible needy individuals in certain categories. Kentucky, indiana, arkansas, and new hampshire, however, have all expanded their medicaid program to cover nondisabled childless adults and low income parents up to 8% of the federal poverty level fpl. Aspe issue brief 3 page aspe office of health policy june 20, 2016 enrollment, compared to a 10. Since missouri has not adopted medicaid expansion, its program does not cover childless adults unless they are elderly, disabled, or pregnant. If you choose to access other websites from this website, you agree, as a condition of choosing any such link or access, that arkansas blue cross and blue shield abcbs is not and shall not be responsible or liable to you or to others in any way for your decision to link to such other websites.
Medicaid expansion continues to benefit state budgets. States experiences confirming harmful effects of medicaid. Aarp health insurance plans pdf download medicare replacement pdf download aarp medicarerx plans united healthcare pdf download medicare benefits pdf download medicare coverage pdf download medicare part d pdf download medicare part b pdf download arkansas medicaid lien. How arkansas is expanding medicaid without actually. Mercatus research, mercatus center at george mason university, arlington, va, november 2019.
The providerled arkansas shared savings entity passe is a new model of organized care that will address the needs of certain medicaid beneficiaries who have complex behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities service needs. Almost 1 in 4 arkansas medicaid beneficiaries subject to the new rules lost coverage in 2018. In september 20, the centers for medicare and medicaid services approved arkansas section 1115 demonstration to implement the affordable care acts acas medicaid expansion by using medicaid funds as. Medicaid expansion programs in these six states based on analysis of the enrollment in a qhp through arkansas medicaid private option, and nearly.
Arkansass alternative to medicaid expansion raises. The medicaid expansion therefore represents a sizable increase in. Also this waiver was also included under authority 1902a10b. Dhss local county offices are the point of contact and primary resource for medicaid beneficiaries and applicants. Before the expansion, over 44 million nonelderly people were uninsured. Another study measured primary care wait times for appointments and. This issue brief explores the evidence to date on arkansass 1115 waiver program, which just completed its third year, as other states consider the option and arkansas policymakers debate the future of the program. Medicaid expansion has been a lifeline to health care access for some of the most vulnerable. May 1, 2006 medical assistance for health care items or services furnished. Medicaid expansion passed the house in 2019 but died in the senate. Arkansas medicaid work and community engagement requirement. In the face of this evidence, critics of medicaid expansion including the conservative foundation. Arkansas medicaid data and reports for public access.
Subsequently, in december 20, hhs approved another statesiowasdemonstration to use premium. In september 20, the centers for medicare and medicaid services approved arkansas section 1115 demonstration to implement the affordable care acts acas medicaid expansion by using medicaid funds as premium assistance. Eligibility is determined based on income, resources, arkansas residency, and other requirements. The medicaid and chip payment and access commission is a nonpartisan legislative branch agency that provides policy and data analysis and makes recommendations to congress, the secretary of the u. Aug 26, 2015 notably, unlike many other states, arkansas did not have an established medicaid managed care delivery system prior to expansion or a feeforservice network that was equipped to serve a. The level of additional federal funds that will be earned in arkansas due to the medicaid expansion, arkansas economic activity that is, the gross state product, employment levels in arkansas. This essay presents arkansass alternative to medicaid expansion as a case study motivating john mcdonoughs assessment of the recommendations states may want to make to the department of health and human services regarding the implementation of statewide patient protection and affordable care actalternative waivers scheduled to begin in 2017. Medicaid expansion, the private option and personal. The states medicaid director at the time admitted in internal emails that he expected costs to be higher in. March 2019, enrollees in arkansass medicaid expansion program the arkansas works. Medicaid expansion, the private option and personal urban institute. Through an 1115 waiver, arkansas accepts federal funds through the affordable care act for eligible low.
This report and abstract were revised november 5, 2019, to correct two errors. National low income housing coalition 641 arkansas began instituting work requirements in june of 2018 and by september of the same year, more than 12,000 people lost coverage due to unreported work status. Between june 2018 and march 2019, arkansas required some medicaid expansion enrollees to document that they worked or engaged in workrelated activities e. Arkansas medicaid program helps needy individuals pay for basic and necessary medical services living in arkansas and meeting the program eligibility guidelines. Cms issues split decision on arkansas medicaid waiver. Some categories provide a full range of benefits while others may offer limited benefits or may require cost sharing by a beneficiary. By 2016, the number of uninsured dropped to under 27 million which was a historic low of 10% of uninsured adults henry j. Little rock, arkansas 72201 501 5262244 fact sheet. Dcfs non medicaid ive 05 dcfys dcfys div of child fmly 0500 no vision coverage adult expansion 06 hcip health care independence private option 0600 ages 19 and 20 get arkids a coverage. A number of states have sought section 1115 research and demonstration waiver authority to implement changes to eligibility and enrollment policies, benefit design, and costsharing requirements for lowincome adults who are not eligible for medicaid on the basis of. A look at key themes and unpaid premiums but cannot report debt to credit agencies, place lien. Lessons from launching medicaid work requirements in arkansas. Economic and employment effects of expanding medicaid in arkansas. Economic and employment effects of expanding medicaid in.
A look at the private option in arkansas the henry j. Dds non medicaid 04 dds developmental disability 0400 dcfs non medicaid ive 05 dcfys dcfys div of child fmly 0500 adult expansion no fpl no fmap 06 hcip health care independence private option 0600 adult expansion no fpl no fmap 06 iabp interim alternative benefit plan 0600 adult expansion no fpl no fmap 06 abp alternative benefit plan 0600. Adult expansion 06 iabp interim alternative benefit plan 0600 ages 19 and 20 get arkids a coverage. Arkansass alternative to medicaid expansion raises important. Notably, unlike many other states, arkansas did not have an established medicaid managed care delivery system prior to expansion or a feeforservice network that was equipped to. Pdf 2014 arkansas medicaid expansion geoffrey cowley. But cms denied the 36month cap, and kansas asked cms to postpone.
Informationby topicswaivers1115downloadsararprivateoptionca. Word, new window added 4920 arkansas medicaid released an official notice to all providers regarding 2020 asc code conversion. Medicaid recipients were disenrolled if they failed to meet work requirements for three months in a calendar year, not three consecutive months. Medicaid expansion, the private option, and personal responsibility requirements. Wishner, john holahan, divvy upadhyay, and megan mcgrath may 2015. Medicaid, medicaid improper payments, affordable care act, med icaid expansion, medicaid eligibility brian c. Arkansas currently has four major medicaid home and community based services hcbs waivers. Arkansas medicaid released an official notice to prosthetics includes dme and orthotics and ventilator equipment providers regarding dme rate changes effective april 1, 2020. Page 2 gao14689r medicaid demonstrations state of arkansas, is the first of its kind testing the use of premium assistance in purchasing exchange coverage for a states entire medicaid expansion population. Arkansas led the nation in implementing an alternative to medicaid expansion that was acceptable to some politicians who otherwise opposed the affordable care act aca.
Department of health and human services, and the states on a wide array of issues affecting medicaid and the state childrens health insurance program chip. Arkansas medicaid is a health program managed by the state of arkansas and jointly funded by state and federal dollars. An estimated additional 6,000 people were at risk of losing their. Arkansas medicaid expansion program was initially called the arkansas health care independence program, but transitioned to arkansas works as of 2017. Select covered over the counter medications are covered pursuant to a valid prescription, but are not covered for long term care eligible beneficiaries. According to information provided by the state, under the arkansas health care independence demonstration, the state will use premium assistance to purchase qualified health plans qhps offered in the individual market through the marketplace for individuals eligible for coverage under title xix of the social security act who are either 1 childless adults ages 19 to 65 with incomes at or. Arkansas medicaid state plan under 1932a1 a authority with no changes to criteria or operation. Medicaid expansion in missouri economic implications for.
The current arkansas works section 1115 demonstration project was implemented. Jan 10, 2020 bipartisan medicaid expansion under consideration in kansas. Categories are summarized below under the two headings of aged, blind. The arkansas department of human services dhs administers the arkansas medicaid program.
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