Arkansas Medicaid Director Andy Allison To Leave Post

The director of Arkansas' Medicaid program, Andy Allison, who led the implementation of the private option health insurance program, announced that he is leaving his position next month. Arkansas Department of Human Services Director John Selig said Dawn Zekis, the Medicaid program's director of Health Care Innovation, will serve as interim director.

The Arkansas legislature adopted the private option to accommodate President Barack Obama's Medicaid expansion program, which was part of the federal health overhaul package. More than 155,000 people in Arkansas applied to enroll in the private option. Legislators this year approved extending the private option . . .