On Monday, members of the state legislature will meet in Little Rock to gavel in an extraordinary session of the 91st General Assembly. Though we will take up several items, the primary purpose will be to consider timely reforms to the states Medicaid expansion program called Arkansas Works.
Since I took office in 2015, my administration has repeatedly sought waivers from the federal government to allow us to add cost-saving reforms to Arkansas Works. These changes will enable us to tailor the program to the unique needs of our state and ensure that the program is sustainable. I am happy to say that the changes we intend to make are now likely to be approved by the Trump administration. I am confident that the Legislature will authorize the state to formally ask the federal government to approve the proposals.
One of the waivers would allow us to establish work requirements for certain able-bodied adults covered by Arkansas Works. To do this, the Department of Workforce Services will link Arkansas Works participants to career training and job search services. Individuals who participate in these programs will satisfy the work requirement. This is a common-sense reform that will promote personal responsibility and empower Arkansans to climb the economic ladder and to obtain commercial insurance. Arkansans want to work, and this initiative provides the training and opportunities to help them do just that.
The second waiver we are seeking would reduce the income eligibility limit for Arkansas Works from 138 percent of the federal poverty level to 100 percent. This will save $66 million over the next four years and enable us to focus our Medicaid resources on Arkansans who are elderly, disabled, and those in poverty. Those without access to affordable employer-sponsored coverage will be eligible for federal subsidies through the health insurance exchange. As a result, all Arkansans will continue to have access to affordable coverage options.
While Washington continues to debate federal health reform, we are working to ensure that Arkansass health care safety net is effective and sustainable. We will continue to take steps to streamline and strengthen Arkansas Works, while also encouraging participation in the private insurance market.
Other items on the agenda for the special session include a bill to increase the transparency of the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace, bills to consolidate medical marijuana and certain ethics laws passed during the regular legislative session, and a bill to transfer $105 million to a long-term reserve fund. But our primary mission will be to enact conservative reforms to Arkansas Works that will save millions of taxpayer dollars and enable us to tailor a uniquely Arkansas approach to health care. I am asking the legislature to act quickly to approve these waivers so that we can adjourn within three days with a victory for the people of Arkansas.
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