August saw a 72,000 decline in Arkansas Medicaid rolls as the redetermination entered its last month

Jonesboro, Arkansas – According to updated statistics made available by the state Department of Human Services on Friday (Sept. 8), the number of people on Medicaid in Arkansas decreased by more than 72,000 in August.

As part of the end of the federal COVID-19 epidemic, Arkansas is unwinding, or reevaluating, Medicaid eligibility for patients.

During the crisis, a need for ongoing enrollment prohibited DHS from removing the majority of ineligible people from Medicaid. The unwinding procedure must be finished within six months, according to state law.

DHS officials reported that 72,519 Arkansans had their Medicaid cases closed in the fifth month of redetermination. This figure includes those who were added to the rolls during the public health emergency and normal renewals. After eligibility was established, DHS reported that more than 50,000 cases had been renewed in August.

A total of 877,544 people were enrolled in Medicaid as of September 1st, including 388,558 children, 239,990 ARHOME recipients, and 248,996 other adults. There have been more than 370,000 people taken off the Medicaid rolls since the start of redetermination on April 1.

“We have now completed redeterminations for five of the six months of our unwinding effort, and so far our incredible eligibility workers have confirmed eligibility for more than a quarter of a million Arkansans,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam. “By discontinuing coverage for beneficiaries who no longer qualify for Medicaid, we are ensuring that these resources are available to eligible Arkansans who truly need them.”

Due to problems with its eligibility system procedures, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have instructed many states to halt their redeterminations or reinstate coverage for some individuals. DHS stated that it expects to continue its complete unwinding plan over the sixth and final month even though Arkansas is not one of these states.

The top reasons for closures include disenrollments based on:

• Failing to send back required eligibility information;
• Failing to return requested information;
• Household income exceeding Medicaid limitations;
• Not meeting requirements for programs; and
• Client-requested closures.