(AP) – The Arkansas House has approved and sent to the state
Senate a bill to freeze enrollment in the state’s hybrid Medicaid expansion
while the future of the federal health overhaul that enabled the program remains
unclear.
The House voted 55-32 Wednesday for the measure prohibiting the state from
accepting new enrollees in the program that uses Medicaid funds to purchase
private insurance for low-income residents. The legislation requires the state
to file paperwork with federal officials asking for approval to implement the
freeze that would take effect July 1.
More than 300,000 people are on the hybrid expansion, and supporters of the
freeze have raised concerns about the cost of the program.
The hybrid program was created in 2013 as an alternative to expanding Medicaid
under the federal health law.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI