Arkansas

Arkansas purges 427K from Medicaid after post-pandemic roll review; Advocates worry about oversights

Published

1 year ago

October 10, 2023

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — More than 427,000 Arkansas residents were dropped from Medicaid in the past six months, as the state became among the first nationally to complete a post-pandemic eligibility review of the government-funded health care program for lower-income residents.

The state ended coverage for more than half of those whose cases were reviewed during the period — a removal rate that raised concerns Tuesday among some health care advocates even as the Republican-led administration defended its efficiency in shrinking the Medicaid rolls.

“Arkansas has distinguished itself by moving very rapidly to kick families off coverage, regardless of whether they are still eligible,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.

During the coronavirus pandemic, states were prohibited from removing people from Medicaid in exchange for receiving enhanced federal funding. That moratorium ended in April, and states were required to resume annual eligibility reviews for participants. During the freeze, Medicaid enrollment swelled by nearly one-third nationally, from 71 million people in February 2020 to 94 million in April 2023.

States have 14 months to finish their backlog of eligibility reviews, according to guidelines from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But a 2021 Arkansas law required the state to complete the task in six months.

Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary Kristi Putnam said she was proud of the staff’s speedy work “to ensure that our program is serving only those who truly need Medicaid.”

“I’m excited to finally put the pandemic and the special rules that had been in place behind us, so we can focus on serving Arkansans under normal eligibility operations going forward,” Putnam said in a statement Monday.

Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ administration has continually defended the state’s review process — which renewed coverage for about 298,000 people during the past six months — even as some national groups have cited the state as a negative example.

Like in most states, many of those who lost Medicaid coverage in Arkansas were removed for procedural reasons, such as not returning renewal forms needed to verify their eligibility. Health care advocates contend some of those people likely would have remained eligible if the state had their full information.

People removed from Medicaid can regain coverage retroactively if they provide information proving their eligibility within 90 days.

But Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Grant Tennille said the disenrollments would have consequences even for people who are later able to regain coverage.

“It’s not just an inconvenience,” Tennille said at a news conference on Tuesday. “It can delay or terminate necessary medical procedures. These are people’s lives that we’re gambling with.”

House Minority Leader Tippi McCullough, a Democrat, said Arkansas residents are being robbed of stable health care coverage as they are dropped from Medicaid.

“How can you look at these numbers and not think the system has failed Arkansas families?” McCullough said.

While Arkansas forged ahead with eligibility reviews during recent months, some other states paused procedural terminations and slowed down their review process as federal officials raised concerns. President Joe Biden’s administration said last month that 29 states and the District of Columbia had acknowledged automation errors that flagged entire households as potentially ineligible instead of reviewing each person individually. Children typically have higher income eligibility thresholds than adults, causing federal officials to raise concerns that some may have been needlessly dropped from the rolls.

Arkansas officials have said they didn’t experience those automation problems, But figures provided by the state indicate around 149,000 children were removed from Medicaid during the past six months.

Arkansas’ percentage decline in children covered by Medicaid ranks among the largest in the nation, Alker said.

___

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.

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Arkansas

Mizzou, Arkansas Official Availability Report Ahead of Week 14 Game

Published

5 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Mizzou, Arkansas Official Availability Report Ahead of Week 14 Game

The No. 21 Missouri Tigers enter their final regular season game with the least injury questions than they have had for most other games since the beginning of November.

But, there was a few new additions to the team’s availability report ahead of the Week 14 game against Arkansas. Below is the full availability report for the Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

This post will be updated throughout the week with new availability reports posted Thursday, Friday and 90 minutes before the 3:15 p.m. kick off.

Missouri Initial Availability Report:

Note: Missouri players with injuries previously reported to be season-ending are not listed on this post.

• DB Shamar McNeil – OUT
• LS Brett Le Blanc – OUT
• OL Logan Reichert – OUT
• RB Kewan Lacy – QUESTIONABLE

True freshman running back Kewan Lacy took one carry against Mississippi State in Week 13 before exiting the game with injury. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in the week leading up to that game that he would expect Lacy to see more opportunities going forward.

Le Blanc handles punting long snapping duties for Missouri, while Trey Flint takes care of field goals and extra points. Expect Flint to slide in for Le Blanc Saturday.

Arkansas Initial Availability Report:

• DL Nico Dalliver – OUT
• DB Jaylon Braxton – OUT
• K Kyle Ramsey – OUT
• DL Anton Juncaj – DOUBTFUL
• RB Braylen Russel – QUESTIONABLE
• DB Anthony Switzer – QUESTIONABLE

Passion and Patience Fuel a Fairytale Ending to Drake Heismeyer’s Mizzou Career
Brady Cook Reflects on Legacy Ahead of Senior Day
Mizzou Receiver Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

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Arkansas

Arkansas Children's enhances care with Press Ganey partnership

Published

12 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas Children's enhances care with Press Ganey partnership

The partnership will improve Arkansas Children’s service and care for patients and their families. Credit: Vita Monart/Shutterstock.

Arkansas Children’s, a private, non-profit paediatric care organisation, has partnered with Press Ganey to improve paediatric patient experience.

Beginning 1 January 2025, this collaboration is aimed at bolstering the paediatric care organisation’s commitment to improving service and care for patients and their families.

Arkansas Children’s executive vice-president and chief operating officer Jamie Wiggins said: “We believe that every interaction with our patients is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

“By leveraging Press Ganey’s expertise and industry-leading pediatric benchmarks, we will gain valuable insights that will empower our teams to continuously improve and innovate in delivering compassionate care.”

Press Ganey will offer its patient experience and provider star-rating solutions to help Arkansas Children’s monitor feedback and enhance care quality.

The partnership will enable Arkansas Children’s to leverage Press Ganey’s AI-powered text analytics.

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This will help analyse open-ended feedback from online reviews and post-visit surveys, providing an understanding of patient and family perspectives.

The goal is to gain actionable insights that can further improve the patient experience.

Press Ganey provides experience measurement, data analytics and insights to health systems and caters to more than 65% of all freestanding paediatric hospitals.

This partnership will allow Arkansas Children’s to benefit from shared learning and innovation within Press Ganey’s network of institutions.

Press Ganey CEO and chairman Patrick Ryan said: “Families trust Arkansas Children’s to provide the highest quality care for their children.

“This partnership reflects their dedication to listening to families, responding to their needs, and innovating to create a world-class paediatric healthcare experience.”

Arkansas Children’s network includes two paediatric hospitals, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, a research institute, a USDA nutrition centre, and numerous education and outreach programmes.

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Arkansas

Homicide suspect causes barricade situation in east Arkansas jail

Published

20 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Homicide suspect causes barricade situation in east Arkansas jail

PHILLIPS COUNTY, Ark. — A suspect in a Helena-West Helena homicide caused a barricade situation Tuesday as he was being processed in the Phillips County Detention Center.

Authorities said a prisoner who was being processed at the jail was able to get hold of some type of instrument and cause harm to himself.

He barricaded himself in the processing area and pepper spray was used to subdue him.

The prisoner was taken to the local emergency room for treatment. No one else was injured.

Helena-West Helena Police Chief Vincent Bell said he doesn’t know much more about what happened at the jail, but said the inmate is connected to a fatal shooting Tuesday afternoon.

The suspect was being held in connection to an incident where a man was shot dead in the doorway of O’Reilly Auto Parts in West Helena.

The shooting was the result of a disagreement that started in front of a motel, and the victim ran to the front of O’Reilly’s where he was fatally shot.

Chief Bell offered no details on a motive or the name of the victim.

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