Governor, lawmakers say no Medicaid funding fight expected

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas’ governor and legislative leaders say they
don’t expect another funding fight over the future of the state’s Medicaid
expansion, even if a federal judge blocks the state from enforcing a work
requirement on the program.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, incoming Senate President Jim Hendren and House Speaker
Matthew Shepherd said Friday they don’t expect difficulty in winning the
three-fourths support needed in both chambers to keep the state’s expansion
alive another year. Arkansas’ program uses state and federal funds to purchase
private insurance for low-income residents and has narrowly survived efforts by
opponents in past years to defund it.

Arkansas lawmakers convene Monday for this year’s session.

The three spoke at a forum hosted by The Associated Press and the Arkansas
Press Association.

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