LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — For two months now the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) has been working to determine who is and isn't eligible for Medicaid.
That has been part of their six-month effort to unwind the Medicaid rolls following the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE).
The numbers for May show that more than 68,000 Arkansans lost their coverage and about 20,000 of those are children. Groups like the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families explained how this number is alarming.
“For the biggest group of kids that are losing Medicaid are those that are in the lowest income families,” said Health Policy Director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Loretta Alexander. “There's a lot of things that need to happen to make sure that these kids stop losing coverage.”
She also said they've been working to bridge the gap between families and the Department of Human Services.
“A request or concern or a complaint, we have an open communication with DHS,” she said.“So, we immediately forward that information to DHS, to ask them to help that family.”
According to DHS, during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency people on Medicaid couldn't lose their coverage, even if their circumstances changed but that’s no longer the case.
“A lot has changed in the last three years, unemployment is lower than it was before the pandemic, and we've had a couple of increases in the minimum wage,” said Gavin Lesnick with DHS. "So, circumstances may be different for somebody who was eligible before and are not eligible now.”
For the thousands of people across the state that are facing a future without Medicaid, there are still ways to see if you can get it back.
“You have depending on your category of assistance, either 30 days or 90 days after your case has been closed, that you can actually provide the information that we didn't get before,” said Lesnick.
He explained that if they get the information needed and see that you're still eligible they'll reopen your case.
“We want to limit the number of cases that are closed because a person was unaware and that's why we're doing so much outreach,” Lesnick added.
DHS sent out renewal packets but if you didn't get one, please call (855) 371-1084 or click here.