Over 82,000 Removed from Medicaid in Arkansas

In July, the Arkansas Department of Human Services disenrolled a total of 82,279 people from Medicaid, following an ongoing process that began after the end of the coronavirus public health emergency on April 1

Between April 1 and July 11, the agency had already removed 77,000 individuals from Medicaid.

During July, the agency renewed 50,609 Medicaid cases. The removalsInfo were due to various reasons, including failure to return renewal forms, failure to provide requested information, exceeding household income limits for enrollment, recipients' requests for removal, and not meeting program requirements.

As of August 1, there are 915,926 Arkansans enrolled in Medicaid, with a breakdown of 398,726 children, 254,200 on the ARHOME program, and 263,000 other adults.

DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam emphasized a fair disenrollment process, highlighting the efforts of the county operations team to confirm eligibility during the ongoing unwinding process. The aim is to provide benefits to those in genuine need and inform those no longer eligible about alternative health care coverage options.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders plans to introduce a work requirement for ARHOME Medicaid recipients.

Resources have been made available for individuals who were disenrolled and need assistance. They can reach out by phone or submit questions through online forms.

The officials have provided resources for individuals who were disenrolled and need assistance. They can call 855-372-1084 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. Questions can also be submitted through the Access Anywhere form at ar.gov/accessanywhere, or additional Medicaid information is available at ar.gov/renew.

Some individuals did not renew their Medicaid due to realizing their ineligibility.

(Information provided by the Arkansas Department of Health)