Arkansas’ Medicaid Expansion Via ‘Private Option’ Passes, SMI Remains In Traditional Medicaid

Recently signed Arkansas Medicaid legislation authorized the expansion of Medicaid benefits to low-income adults via enrollment in private health plans; however, beneficiaries with serious mental illness (SMI) will remain in traditional Medicaid. The legislation, The Arkansas Health Care Independence Act of 2013 (now Act 1498), was signed on April 23, 2013. The state intends to use Medicaid funds to contract with private health plans that will enroll the expansion population and most of the current traditional Medicaid population. An estimated 250,000 state residents will be affected. However, the private health plans will not enroll beneficiaries who are medically . . .