Arkansas governor seeks federal approval for Medicaid change [View all]
LITTLE ROCK Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is meeting with officials in Washington as the state seeks approval for changes to its hybrid Medicaid expansion program.
Arkansas has requested a waiver for its "Arkansas Works" program, also known as the private option. The program uses federal Medicaid money to buy private health insurance for low-income residents and currently covers about 300,000 people.
Hutchinson said that he met with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, then members of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team Monday. He says the federal government has agreed to some but not all of Arkansas' proposed changes.
The changes include a requirement that some beneficiaries pay a premium and mandating that participants with no income be referred to job training and placement programs.
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2016/dec/07/arkansas-governor-seeks-federal-approval-medicaid-changes/652100/