Unwinding

Federal agency asks states to pause Medicaid unwinding; DHS says request does not apply to Arkansas

KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent a letter to all 50 states Wednesday, asking some to restore coverage for people who were recently disenrolled for procedural reasons.

The request does not apply to Arkansas, Department of Human Services spokesman Gavin Lesnick said in an email.

DHS conducts Medicaid eligibility reviews on an individual basis and does not require eligibility information for every member of someone’s household to provide benefits to that person, he said.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-08-31/federal-agency-asks-states-to-pause-medicaid-unwinding-dhs-says-request-does-not-apply-to-arkansas

Daniel Breen/Little Rock Public Radio

Members of the group Arkansas Community Organizations protest the state's Medicaid unwinding process at the State Capitol on Aug. 22, 2023.