FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE‍

October 3, 2024

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CONTACT

J. Robertson

james@opportunityarkansas.org

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NEW REPORT DETAILS SOARING COSTS, RECORD DEPENDENCY IN ARKANSAS MEDICAID

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LITTLE ROCK, AR – Today, Opportunity Arkansas released a new report, "Getting back to work: How Arkansas can lead the nation in Medicaid reform once again," outlining a comprehensive plan to reform the state's Medicaid program for the benefit of all Arkansans, and the urgent need for such reform.

The report, co-authored by Opportunity Arkansas Founder and CEO Nic Horton and Visiting Economist Hayden Dublois, comes at a critical time as the state’s Medicaid program faces costs and enrollment overruns far beyond initial expansion projections. The report analyzes how Arkansas faces a host of challenges with its Medicaid program and proposes commonsense solutions to get the program back on track, prioritize the truly needy, and promote economic growth with Medicaid reform ultimately making it possible to phase out the state’s income tax.

The report recommends ending the state’s wildly expensive private option model, capping Obamacare Medicaid expansion enrollment, and re-establishing work requirements for able-bodied adults to restore the program as a true safety net for the truly needy.

"Arkansas's Medicaid program is in crisis. It has become a dependency trap rather than a true safety net and this should be a serious concern for all Arkansans–especially as Arkansas businesses continue to struggle to find workers. Medicaid now consumes more than one of every four dollars the state spends, which is unsustainable and detrimental to the future of our state. It’s time to get serious about real reform,” said Horton. “This report outlines a clear path forward to reduce government dependency, protect taxpayers, and prioritize the truly needy. Arkansas has led the nation before with a first-of-its-kind, commonsense work requirement for able-bodied adults. Now it’s time for Arkansas to lead again.”

This report is part of Opportunity Arkansas’s larger mission to solve generation problems and simplify government. The full report can be accessed here.

For meetings, bookings, or interviews, contact Opportunity Arkansas Public Affairs Director J. Robertson via email at james@opportunityarkansas.org.

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About Opportunity Arkansas Foundation

Opportunity Arkansas Foundation is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization on a mission to renew the Land of Opportunity by simplifying government and solving generational problems for the next generation. OA stands ready to partner with state policymakers who share these goals. To learn more, visit www.OpportunityArkansas.org.

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