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Activists continue to call for changes to Arkansas Medicaid, allege unfair losses of coverage

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Activists continue to call for changes to Arkansas Medicaid, allege unfair losses of coverage


Organizers with Arkansas Community Organizations hold up signs advocating for better Medicaid coverage outside Jefferson County’s Department of Human Services office in Pine Bluff on Tuesday. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)

Arkansas Medicaid recipients and advocates repeated their ongoing messages that the state Department of Human Services should provide broader Medicaid coverage and process applications more efficiently at a Tuesday demonstration outside DHS’ Jefferson County office.

Arkansas Community Organizations, the group behind the protest, has continually emphasized the benefits of the federally-funded health insurance program and the struggles low-income Arkansans face when they cannot afford health care or get on Medicaid quickly. On Tuesday, the group added a new message: that DHS employees are overworked and under-supported.

“When you walk into DHS, prepare to take a number and sit for a long time,” Medicaid recipient William Gerard said. “There might be two workers at four windows and not enough [support] to serve their caseload.”

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Cathy Young of Pine Bluff and Be’Atte Martin of Little Rock both said they did not receive notification from DHS when the agency changed their Medicaid coverage plans.

Notifications might not reach people in the mail through no fault of their own, and sometimes DHS implements multiple changes before a Medicaid client gets notice of the first one, said Brainard Bivens, who worked at the Jefferson County DHS office from 1995 to 2017.

“They have to make a determination [of eligibility] within a certain amount of time, and a lot of time they cannot make determinations because of — what’s the chronic thing? ‘Not enough information. We didn’t get the information,’” Bivens said.

DHS spent six months in 2023 reviewing the eligibility of Medicaid recipients whose coverage was extended for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, even if they no longer qualified for benefits because of income or other eligibility limits.

More than 184,500 of the roughly 420,000 Arkansans who retained coverage during the extension were disenrolled between April 1 and Sept. 30 because they did not provide necessary eligibility information, according to DHS data.

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Arkansas Community Organizations held several protests last year, asserting DHS did not do enough to ensure people were ineligible before cutting their Medicaid coverage. Most states had a full year to conduct the “unwinding” of the coverage extension, but Arkansas had six months, as required by a 2021 state law. State officials have defended the unwinding process.

The most recent protest before Tuesday was in May outside DHS headquarters in Little Rock, in response to a Georgetown University report released earlier that month. Arkansas had the tenth-largest decrease in the number of children enrolled in Medicaid at the end of 2023 than before the pandemic began in 2020, the report stated.

Martin said Tuesday that she lost coverage in August 2023 despite still being eligible, and she then lost both Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits and her caregiver for her health issues.

She regained coverage for Medicaid but not for SNAP, she said, and DHS did not receive 76 documents she submitted proving her eligibility for benefits.

Martin received SNAP and Medicaid in Oklahoma within a week of moving there earlier this year, but she was unable to find housing, she said, so she left in August in order for her children to go back to school in Little Rock, and the family remains homeless.

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“Now that I’m back in Arkansas, I’m being forced to go through all the hoops with DHS again to receive the benefits that I’m entitled to,” Martin said.

Arkansas Community Organizations is planning two more demonstrations in October, organizers Neil Sealy and Al Allen said.

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What channel is Arkansas basketball vs Arizona on today? March Madness game time, TV, streaming

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What channel is Arkansas basketball vs Arizona on today? March Madness game time, TV, streaming


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Darius Acuff Jr. and the fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks will face Brayden Burries and the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats as the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament continues with the Sweet 16 Thursday in San Jose, California.

The Razorbacks (28-8) reached the West Region semifinals by beating Hawaii and High Point. Meanwhile, the Wildcats (34-2) beat Long Island and Utah State.

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Here’s how to watch the Razorbacks-Wildcats game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:

Watch March Madness live with Sling TV

What time is Arkansas vs Arizona today? When is NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game today?

  • Date: Thursday, March 26
  • Start time: 8:45 p.m. CT
  • Where: SAP Center in San Jose, California

What channel is Arkansas vs Arizona on today? How to watch, stream NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

  • TV: TBS/truTV
  • How to watch online: Sling (free trial)

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Arkansas vs Arizona betting odds for March Madness Sweet 16 game

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, March 26:

  • Moneyline: ARI -375 | ARK +290
  • Spread: Arizona (-8.5)
  • Over/under: 165.5

All times CT

All times CT

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Arkansas vs. Arizona Prediction, Odds, Best Prop Bet for NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

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Arkansas vs. Arizona Prediction, Odds, Best Prop Bet for NCAA Tournament Sweet 16


The Arkansas Razorbacks parlayed an SEC Tournament Championship into two straight wins to start their NCAA Tournament run, getting past Hawaii and High Point in impressive fashion. Now, they’ll face their toughest challenge yet, a Sweet 16 showdown with the 1-seed Arizona Wildcats.

Arizona cruised past both Long Island University and Utah State in the first two rounds, and still has just two losses on its record all season. As you’d expect, they’re favored in this SEC vs. Big 12 showdown. Let’s take a look.

Arkansas vs. Arizona Odds, Spread, and Total

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Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Spread

  • Arkansas +7.5 (-110)
  • Arizona -7.5 (-110)

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Moneyline

  • Arkansas +278
  • Arizona -355

Total

  • OVER 166.5 (-110)
  • UNDER 166.5 (-110)

Arkansas vs. Arizona How to Watch

  • Date: Thursday, March 6
  • Game Time: 9:45 pm ET
  • Venue: SAP Center at San Jose
  • How to Watch (TV): CBS
  • Arkansas Record: 28-8
  • Arizona Record: 34-2

Arkansas vs. Arizona Betting Trends

  • The OVER is 9-2 in Arkansas’ last 11 games
  • The OVER is 5-1 in Arkansas’ last six games vs. Big 12 opponents
  • Arkansas is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games as an underdog
  • Arizona is 4-1 ATS in its last five games
  • The OVER is 4-2 in Arizona’s last six games
  • Arizona is 5-1 ATS in its last six games vs. SEC opponents

Arkansas vs. Arizona Best Prop Bet

  • Brayden Burries OVER 17.5 Points (-106) via FanDuel

Brayden Burries has a chance to have a phenomenal performance on Thursday night. Arkansas may be a strong offensive team, but its defense leaves a lot to be desired. They rank 200th in the country in defensive efficiency and are allowing 80.3 points per game this season, which ranks 325th. If Burries brings his best stuff, the Razorbacks are going to be in trouble.

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Arkansas vs. Arizona Prediction and Pick

Let’s try our best not to overreact to Arkansas being in the Sweet 16. They had a relatively easy path to win the SEC Championship, squeaking by both Oklahoma and Ole Miss by just three points before beating Vanderbilt in the final, completely avoiding the Florida Gators. Then, in the NCAA Tournament, they had the easiest path to the Sweet 16, getting to face a 13-seed and a 12-seed in the first two rounds.

The Arizona Wildcats are no joke and will be by far the Razorbacks’ biggest challenge. There’s a case to be made that Arizona is the best team in the country, and they have the interior defense to completely shut down the Arkansas offense. The Razorbacks rank 50th in the country in two-point shot rate. Now, they have to face an Arizona defense that ranks second in the country in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 43.7% from two-point range.

Arizona also mainly shoots two-point shots, ranking third in two-point shot rate, and now they get to face an Arkansas team that ranks 278th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 54% from two-point range.

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This is a nightmare matchup for Arkansas.

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Pick: Arizona -7.5 (-110)


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Community rallies behind Arkansas mother, GoFundMe more than doubles in less than 24 hours

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Community rallies behind Arkansas mother, GoFundMe more than doubles in less than 24 hours


An Arkansas mother fighting for her life is now facing her transplant journey with renewed hope after an overwhelming surge of community support.

Just one day after sharing her story, 31-year-old Brittany Slater’s GoFundMe has skyrocketed from $4,300 to over $22,000; more than doubling her original $10,000 goal in less than 24 hours.

Slater, a mother of two, is battling both advanced kidney disease and heart failure.

She has been approved for a rare dual kidney and heart transplant, but needed financial help to cover expenses during a required 12-week recovery period away from home.

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Since the story aired Tuesday afternoon, donations have poured in from 249 contributors. Among them, one person gave $2,000, three donated $1,000 each, and several others contributed hundreds more, reflecting what Slater calls an outpouring of love from both her local community and strangers.

“I was actually at the grocery store when it happened,” Slater said. “My mom called and told me to check it, and I just sat in the parking lot for about an hour crying. I was just full of joy. It was wonderful.”

The financial milestone is doing more than easing immediate concerns; it’s shifting Slater’s mindset as she prepares for the fight ahead.

“It’s making me want to push even harder, to keep fighting even harder,” she said. “If you’re going through something like this, don’t give up. Just keep going and have faith.”

The funds will help cover temporary housing near the transplant center, caregiving needs, childcare for her children, and basic living expenses like food and gas during recovery.

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While insurance, including Medicare, is expected to cover much of the transplant itself, the additional costs tied to recovery created a significant burden for the family.

Slater’s mother, Carmenlita Bryant, who is also undergoing chemotherapy, started the fundraiser and said the response has brought both relief and reassurance during an already difficult time.

“It brings a lot of relief,” Bryant said. “Just knowing she’ll be away for three months and we have to figure out care for her children, this takes a huge burden off of us.”

Bryant said she never expected the level of support her daughter received, calling the response overwhelming.

“It just showed me that humanity still exists,” she said. “People who don’t even know us read her story and gave. We’re just so grateful.”

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For Slater, the support goes beyond financial help; it’s a message she plans to carry with her into surgery and recovery.

“I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart,” she said. “Every donation, every prayer, it all means so much to me and my family.”

If you would like to support Brittany, you can access her GoFundMe here.



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