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These are stories pertaining to the Legislative Session for Arkansas

House Committee Advances Medicaid Expansion, One Vote From Passage

Rep. Michelle Gray, R-Melbourne, presents Senate Bill 410 to the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor committee.
Arkansas House
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KUAR
Rep. Michelle Gray, R-Melbourne, presents Senate Bill 410 to the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor committee.

A bill that wouldtransform Arkansas’ Medicaid expansion program is one vote away from going to the governor’s office.

The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor committee on Tuesday, by a vote of 11-7, advanced Senate Bill 410 to the House floor.

The proposed program, which was introduced in early March, keeps the current private insurance model for purchasing plans like the private option for the Arkansas Works program did.

The proposed legislation also eliminates the previous work requirement, which is currently being challenged in court.

In presenting the bill to the committee, Rep. Michelle Gray, R-Melbourne, said a work requirement is not included in this version of the bill because the Biden Administration would not approve of it.

Gray also refuted a citizen’s claim that the state’s Medicaid expansion led to recent hospital closures and layoffs

"Only one hospital closed, that was in De Queen. Nothing in Jacksonville closed. And to the 600 employees that UAMS laid off or fired, that was due to COVID[-19]. I had 150 at my hospital that we ended up having to let go due to COVID[-19]. It had absolutely nothing to do with Medicaid expansion," Gray said.

Rep. Josh Miller, R-Heber Springs, spoke against passing the bill.

"I’ve been opposed to the program since 2013. I’ve been opposed to it since 2012. And I’m willing to say at this point, I give up. I’m done fighting it. Let’s just do it fairly and let’s do it the most affordable way possible," Miller said.

The bill now goes to the House, where it could be up for a vote next week.

Sarah was drawn towards radio reporting her freshman year in college at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where she already knew she wanted to be a journalist. Throughout her junior and senior years, Sarah reported and produced stories for KBIA, the NPR member station in Columbia. She received her bachelor’s of journalism in Radio/Television reporting with an emphasis on radio.
Formally KUAR, news from the staff of content partners Little Rock Public Radio at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. They are a NPR member station.