By Kyle Kellams
The Affordable Care Act became law in March, 2010. We asked Dr. Joe Thompson, the president and CEO of Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, about the ACA and Arkansas.
https://www.kuaf.com/show/ozarks-at-large/2022-04-05/12-years-of-the-aca
LITTLE ROCK – The United States Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by 18 states that challenged the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
Governor Asa Hutchinson’s response:
“The Supreme Court’s ruling, dismissing the case on procedural grounds, leaves the question of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act unanswered. In my view, the question of whether the Congress overreached its powers in enacting the far-reaching health care law was important and a legitimate issue to be resolved by the Supreme Court. The fact that the Court dismissed the case on the lack of standing makes it unlikely that the court will reconsider the issue in the future.
“For that reason, it is important for Arkansas to pursue the ARHOME waiver request in order to avoid the interruption of health care services to hundreds of thousands of Arkansans, as we also continue to innovate in ways that will motivate Arkansans to take personal responsibility for their health and future.
“ARHOME, our new Medicaid expansion plan, will require insurance carriers to do more than cover the costs of medical care. We want the companies to play a role in motivating Arkansans to get healthy through changes in lifestyle such as quitting smoking, exercising more, getting preventative wellness exams, and prenatal care. We want our health care to make Arkansans healthier.”
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
Arkansas lawmakers considered a variety of bills on Wednesday (April 14), but the main drama centered on the state’s Medicaid program. For the second day in a row, House members could not muster enough votes to approve a Department of Human Services budget that includes funding for a revamped Medicaid expansion program.
SB 55 outlines the spending for the state’s DHS Division of Medical Services budget, which includes Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. In 2013, Arkansas first adopted a Medicaid expansion program through the ACA, known as the private option. It struggled nearly every session to reach the three-fourths vote needed for passage as Republican opposition to the ACA hardened.
Under Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s oversight, the expansion program was reworked to include a work requirement and the program was renamed Arkansas Works. A lawsuit struck down the work requirement, but it has often barely cleared the 75% threshold needed for budget bills.
https://talkbusiness.net/2021/04/medicaid-expansion-bill-fails-in-house-for-second-straight-day/
