Ark. lawmakers pass governor’s Medicaid plan

Arkansas lawmakers on Thursday passed Gov. Asa Hutchison’s plan to keep the state’s hybrid Medicaid expansion – with a few new restrictions such as premiums for some participants. However, program funding is not assured.

Both the 70-30 vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate’s 25-10 vote on an identical measure fell shy of the three-fourths support needed for the Medicaid budget bill to fund the proposal. Final votes on the House and Senate bills are expected this morning.

Lawmakers are expected to take up the plan next week, and Hutchinson hopes those opposed to the policy could be swayed to accept the funding, according to Arkansas Business reporting.

Three years ago, Arkansas legislators approved an alternative Medicaid expansion plan that uses federal funds to buy private insurance for the poor, and now 250,000 are on the state’s program.

Read more from Arkansas Business.