Natural State News

Arkansas' Medicaid overhaul plan is being submitted once again to the Biden administration and one state lawmaker said the focus is to achieve quality in health care for residents of the state.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced the state will submit its Medicaid expansion plan to the Biden administration July 14 and hopes it will be approved by the end of this year, Modern Health Care reported. Hutchinson indicated that under the new overhaul, "no one loses health care benefits, but there are incentives to encourage progress in life."

The proposed overhaul includes two key components that include incentives to work for Medicaid recipients. It will also allow funds from Medicaid to be used toward private health insurance funding, Modern Health care reported.

Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R-Clarksville), chairman of the House insurance and commerce subcommittee in the Arkansas House of Representatives, told Natural News what he believes is key to the new program.

"The focus in the new program on certain groups with the expressed aim to achieve quality goals, I believe is key," Pilkington said. "For too long we haven’t focused on the essential question – are we improving the health of our citizens with our Medicaid spending?"

Pilkington said he hopes the overhaul will achieve improvement in quality of life and savings.

"The four groups to me are the largest problems areas that if we see improvement, we should see savings and improvement in quality of life," Pilkington said.

Arkansas state officials reworked the Medicaid proposal earlier this year after its proposed work requirements were blocked by the Biden administration, reported KAIT8.com.

The state's new proposal will implement a traditional fee-for-service model for the able-bodied and non-exempt recipients who refuse to go to school or to work, according to Modern Health Care. 

Non-workers on Medicaid were 13 times more likely to live in poverty than full-time workers, according to a study released by the American Action Forum.

Another report by the Kaiser Foundation found that 89% of Medicaid recipients would either be exempt or already satisfy work requirements. A small percentage of able-bodied Medicaid recipients would be left who had a sufficient reason to forgo working.

Pilkington noted what he would like to see in future proposals for Medicaid in the state.

"I would like to see a large shared saving program that would incentivize providers to take on these patients but all help the the providers who are doing what the state wants when it comes to improving outcomes," he said.

When asked if he thinks the Biden administration's rejection of the previous work requirements were an obstacle to self-sufficiency of residents, Pilkington said, "I think it is, I believe this rejection is merely political. We should do all we can to get people back to work, back to volunteering, or back to school. Arkansas loves helping people but we know we can't help more than those who can help themselves."