‘Nibbling’ At Private Option Hurts State’s Poor

LEGISLATURE MAY PASS AMENDED VERSION OR RISK FISCAL SESSION, STATE BUDGET

Every day in the monthlong fiscal session, now under way in Little Rock, will, no doubt, bring worrisome headlines, political grandstanding and political gamesmanship over Arkansas’ version of the Private Option health insurance for the state’s poorest citizens.

Already, some 102,173 people have been signed up by local and regional nonpro f its , such as Community Care, St. Francis House, churches and others in Northwest Arkansas, or from such older state funded programs as ARKids First and ARK Care. Local hospitals and insurance carriers also have been helping folks who have seldom, if ever, had basic insurance coverage.

This is a long, convoluted topic; one that many felt was fully discussed in the 2013 Arkansas General Assembly, by the same group of legislators who now serve down in Little Rock.

But there are still some legislators who, even with passage of the Arkansas Private Option, do not like the law.

And it is the law in Arkansas, never doubt that.

It is NOT what many are saying is “Obamacare,” the federal initiative set forth by the current President. A contingent of Republican Arkansas lawmakers down in Little Rock, set about making such sweeping changes in the federal proposal for Arkansas, that Washington D.C. had to give approval for the Arkansas Private Option — a fact brokered by Gov. Mike Beebe.

Yes, the Arkansas Private Option passed with a two-thirds majority in both the Republican controlled state Senate and the state House. Republicans in 2013. Both chambers voted for the approval and immersion of the federal monies into the state budget, which balanced the budget, as mandated by the 1874 Arkansas Constitution.

Repealing or voting down the Arkansas Private Option would remove $89 million from the state’s balanced budget — throwing off tax exemptions passed by the same legislature a year ago; undoing planned expansion of state prisons; reimbursement to counties for housing state inmates in local jails and jeopardizes state services.

And 102,173 Arkansans who have signed up would be thrown off health insurance.

In lieu of an outright refusal to vote down the Arkansas Private Option ( that attempt failed in committee as State Sen. Jim Hendren, R-Gravette, tried that ploy last week) others such as state Rep. Nate Bell, R-Mena, have begun attempts to “nibble” away at the Arkansas Private Option provisions, already in state law.

The first volley included denying funds to be spent to advertise or employ people to sign up working people for benefits. Rep. Bell and his supporters want to limit help in getting sick poor people without cars to their doctors by slashing Medicaid transportation reimbursements.

And this minority of solons want the very poorest working people, by requiring co-pays by people earning as little as $6,000 a year. Co-pays are required by those making above the federal poverty limit.

The loudest outcry against these “nibbling” measurers came from the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Executive Director Rich Huddleston in a public statement said AACF continues to strongly support the private option but “we believe the amendments adopted today are a blatant attempt to create major barriers to the new health coverage plan for low- income Arkansans approved by the legislature on a bipartisan basis just last year. These amendments could have a chilling effect on outreach and enrollment.”

This “nibbling” away at the Arkansas Private Option is indeed a wrong strategy.

Do we still have at least 76 men and women in the state House and at least 27 men and women in the state Senate who can see the benefits to local hospitals, clinics and communities for this Arkansas Private Option?

Let’s hope so. I don’t know about you, but I see this need every day. So why don’t these “nibblers” see this need as well?

Apparently more than 100,000 Arkansans have seen the need for health coverage, they’ve signed up for the Private Option.