A coalition of 23 national health-related non-profit organizations has expressed concerns over the early Medicaid disenrollment numbers in Arkansas. Recently, the state's Medicaid program announced that it had removed over 72,000 individuals from its rolls, primarily due to recipients failing to renew their coverage. This was the first major removal in three years for the state, as the COVID-19 public health emergency had ended.
According to Content Partners Talk Business and Politics, the non-profits have called on the Governor to pause the process and evaluate the impact of these terminations on the affected individuals. They have described the high rate of terminations as "unacceptable and a cause for alarm."
In response, the Governor's office stated that they have a systematic plan in place to evaluate and assist those whose Medicaid healthcare coverage is being redetermined. The plan aims to ensure that all individuals who are eligible for Medicaid receive uninterrupted healthcare coverage.
Medicaid is a government health insurance program that provides healthcare coverage to low-income individuals, including children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. The program is jointly funded by the federal and state governments and is administered by the states.
A list of the non-profits in the coalition is on the Talk Business and Politics website.