(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) — Today, the Arkansas Department of Human Services is reporting updated figures reflecting the fourth month of redeterminations conducted as part of its statutorily required six-month effort to unwind the Medicaid rolls following President Biden’s ending of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). The continuous enrollment requirement during the PHE prevented DHS from removing most ineligible individuals from Medicaid, but normal eligibility rules resumed on April 1. DHS is now working to comply with these normal eligibility rules, which are set by Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The latest figures are included in the report at the bottom of this release. In July, more than 50,000 cases were renewed after eligibility was confirmed, and 82,279 beneficiaries were disenrolled because they are no longer eligible. As of August 1, total Medicaid enrollment was 915,926, including 398,726 children, 254,200 on ARHOME, and 263,000 other adults.
“We are now more than halfway through our six-month unwinding process, and during this time our dedicated county operations team has confirmed eligibility for more than 200,000 Arkansans,” said Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary Kristi Putnam. “This is exactly how the system is supposed to work: we are ensuring that benefits remain available for Arkansans who truly need them, and we are also working to make sure those who no longer qualify know about available options for health care coverage. As we move forward, we remain committed to completing this redetermination process in a way that is both efficient and fair.”
The report below includes information on the top closures in July by both category of assistance and the reason. It is expected that beneficiaries who are no longer eligible for Medicaid will be disenrolled through this unwinding process. While some of these individuals will return their renewal packet and confirm that they no longer qualify, it is likely that many others simply will not return their packet because they are aware that their case will close given their change in circumstances. A closure because of a procedural reason does not mean that the packet was not received or that the beneficiary was unaware of this process.
Beneficiaries who need assistance can call 855-372-1084 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They can also submit questions through the Access Anywhere form at ar.gov/accessanywhere, or visit ar.gov/renew for additional information.
Arkansans who are no longer eligible for Medicaid can transition to an employer-sponsored plan, or one available on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. The Marketplace may reach out directly, but Arkansans can apply for coverage immediately by visiting healthcare.gov. Most applicants will qualify for tax credits or cost-sharing reductions that help subsidize the cost of a federal plan. Additional information is available at ar.gov/cover.
