Pea Ridge Times

Special session limited to health care

- CECILE BLEDSOE Arkansas Senator

LITTLE ROCK — The legislatur­e begins several weeks of intense activity when it is scheduled to convene in special session on April 6, followed by a fiscal session that is scheduled to begin on April 13.

The special session will be limited to health care issues. Legislator­s will consider changes to the Medicaid program. Specifical­ly, the legislatur­e will consider proposals by the governor to extend Medicaid coverage to adults with yearly incomes of up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Medicaid already covers children in low-income families through a program called ARKids First.

The governor has proposed naming it Arkansas Works. One of its components would encourage recipients to seek job referrals. The Health Reform Legislativ­e Task Force has voted to endorse Arkansas Works.

The task force is composed of eight senators and eight representa­tives. Of the 16 task force members, 10 voted in favor of the governor’s Medicaid extension, two voted against it and four did not vote.

However, the task force was divided on the issue of managed care. Two competing proposals are under discussion. One has the governor’s support and the other is backed by a group of legislator­s. Both have similar goals, but would achieve those goals through different methods.

Both plans would greatly hold down Medicaid costs — the governor’s by an estimated $1.4 billion over five years and the alternativ­e by $1 billion, also over a five year period. The estimates were made by a private consultant hired by the task force. The plans differ in how they would assign financial risks in the event cost savings were not realized.

Also, both plans would allocate funds to benefit people with developmen­tal disabiliti­es who are on a waiting list for services that help them live more independen­tly, either in their own homes, in the home of a family member or in an alternativ­e residence. Some benefits include paying a caregiver when non-paid family members are absent. Some people need special equipment that helps them with daily tasks.

The competing plans differ in the source of funding and in amounts of services that would be available to individual­s on the list. Both proposals are supported by legislator­s who want to reduce or eliminate the waiting list.

There are 2,640 people

on the waiting list. Last year 4,124 Arkansas residents with developmen­tal disabiliti­es received services that cost the state and federal government­s almost $205 million, according to the task force consultant.

The special session will be limited to considerat­ion of Medicaid and health care issues. Medicaid is a government health coverage program for people with low incomes and people with disabiliti­es. It pays for the majority of nursing home care in Arkansas.

In general, federal funding pays for 70 percent of Medicaid costs and state funding covers the rest. In more prosperous states the federal government pays a smaller share of Medicaid. The formula is based on per capita income and poverty levels.

The fiscal session will be devoted to budget bills for all state government agencies. In past fiscal sessions, which are held in even number years, the legislatur­e has approved about 300 separate appropriat­ion bills. While changes in Medicaid services will be considered during the special session, the appropriat­ion that authorizes Medicaid spending will be voted on during the fiscal session.

••• Editor’s note: Arkansas Senator Cecile Bledsoe represents the third district. From Rogers, Sen. Bledsoe is chair of the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee.

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