A Service of UA Little Rock
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Hutchinson Says Managed Care Plan Broadens Debate

(file photo) Gov. Asa Hutchinson and reporters look at a draft of legislation to make changes to Medicaid.
Jacob Kauffman
/
KUAR

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says his proposal to shift some Medicaid services to private companies broadens the debate about the program's future beyond the hybrid expansion he's urging lawmakers to save.

Hutchinson on Friday called his managed care plan and legislation to rework the state's hybrid expansion "historic." Hutchinson's comments come the day after lawmakers got their first look at the bills outlining the proposals. The Legislature is expected to convene April 6 for a special session focusing on both proposals.

The Republican governor is calling for keeping the state's hybrid expansion, which uses federal funds to purchase private insurance for the poor, and adding new restrictions. He's also proposed having private firms manage Medicaid's services for the developmentally disabled and mentally ill.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
Related Content