Arkansas news and information

The threat of a federal antitrust challenge soured Capella Healthcare's bid to buy Mercy Health's hospital in Hot Springs, Ark.
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The coming weeks are shaping up to be a big deal for states still on the fence regarding Medicaid expansion.
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It goes without saying that people on Medicaid don't earn much money. While state programs' health benefits differ from state to state, all must have very low co-pays and deductibles to earn the federal match. The same will be true for those states that expand their Medicaid programs to cover...
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Two doctors are set to ask a U.S. judge to block the Human Heartbeat Protection Act, an Arkansas law banning most abortions at the 12th week of pregnancy if a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
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One of the last undecided Democratic governors has opted to expand Medicaid. West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced his intention to urge funding of the expansion by the Democratic-led Legislature after considering it for nearly a year.
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The bumpy advance of Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe's unusual Medicaid proposal has gotten considerable notice in other conservative-leaning states and the attention of the Obama administration. Now it's likely to draw intense federal scrutiny.
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Arkansas lawmakers gave final approval to the governor's plan to use new federal Medicaid funding to buy private coverage in insurance exchanges. Now it's likely to draw intense federal scrutiny.
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The Arkansas House on Tuesday approved a plan to use federal Medicaid funds to buy private insurance for low-income residents, with many Republicans saying the approach is the best way to maintain some control over provisions of a new federal healthcare law they still oppose.
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The Democratic governor in Arkansas is close to pulling off something that leaders in Republican-led states like his would like to duplicate: drawing millions of dollars in new federal healthcare funding while ducking the appearance of adding to their Medicaid rolls.
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Governors continue to make pilgrimages to HHS as states keep trying to craft custom versions of the healthcare reform law's Medicaid expansion and avoid leaving new federal funding on the table.
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