Arkansas
Arkansas urges Medicaid recipients to prepare for end of public health emergency
Extra “normalcy” is within the works for Arkansas state authorities. The Division of Human Providers is gearing as much as finish pandemic-related forbearance for Medicaid recipients. The announcement concerning the coming change emphasizes use of the Web for folks to take care of eligibility. You’d nearly imagine the Web was broadly and available in Arkansas, by no means thoughts among the many poor and disabled.
The Arkansas Division of Human Providers (DHS) is making ready for the tip of the COVID-19 Public Well being Emergency by asking all ARHOME, PASSE, ARKids, and Arkansas Medicaid shoppers to replace their contact info. This is step one within the course of to ensure eligible shoppers preserve their protection.
In March 2020, the federal authorities started permitting states to briefly cease disenrolling Medicaid shoppers, even when they had been not eligible, to assist stop folks with Medicaid from shedding their well being protection throughout the pandemic. Solely shoppers who died, moved out of state, had been incarcerated, or requested that their protection finish had their instances closed.
The Public Well being Emergency was just lately prolonged by means of July 15, 2022. Whereas it may very well be prolonged once more, it’s vital for Medicaid shoppers to start making ready by ensuring their appropriate contact info is up to date on file.
“We wish everybody who’s eligible for Medicaid to maintain their protection,” mentioned DHS Deputy Director for Well being and Medicaid Director Daybreak Stehle. “These shoppers who had their protection prolonged as a result of Public Well being Emergency might want to look ahead to vital info from DHS, so it’s crucial that they take time now to ensure their handle is appropriate.”
Purchasers can rapidly and simply replace their info, or confirm that it’s already appropriate, by means of considered one of a number of methods:
Name the Replace Arkansas hotline at 1-844-872-2660.
Go surfing at entry.arkansas.gov. Medicaid shoppers can log in to or create an account, after which add their present contact info.
Go to a neighborhood DHS county workplace.
DHS has additionally arrange a brand new Replace Arkansas web site obtainable at ar.gov/replace to share info and assets for shoppers, companions, and family and friends. This web site consists of info for shoppers on easy methods to replace their info and an array of supplies for others to share, together with social media graphics, regularly requested questions, flyers and extra. Extra supplies might be added within the coming days and weeks.
“We all know shoppers typically don’t replace their contact info, and we all know that modifications might have occurred over greater than two years of this Public Well being Emergency,” Stehle mentioned. “We’re dedicated to this effort and are doing all the things we are able to to succeed in these shoppers. However we additionally want everybody’s assist. If you already know somebody on Medicaid, please urge them to confirm that their info is appropriate. It’s a simple step now that may very well be the distinction between shedding and protecting protection after the Public Well being Emergency ends.”