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40K Arkansans lose Medicaid coverage after their eligibility is left unknown
More than 40,000 Arkansans were removed from the state’s Medicaid program at the end of April because they did not provide required information to determine their eligibility, the state Department of Human Services announced Monday. The department has been reviewing the eligibility of about 420,000 Medicaid enrollees who had their coverage extended over the last […]
Arkansas Children’s Hospital plans eight-year, $318M expansion
Arkansas Children’s Hospital will begin an eight-year expansion of both its buildings and services later this year, according to a Friday press release. By 2031, the hospital system will have hundreds more employees and hundreds of thousands more square feet of space at its two facilities in Little Rock and Springdale. The expansion will add […]
UAMS will train medical residents at nonprofit-acquired El Dorado hospital
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will adapt the hospital in El Dorado into its ninth regional campus to train young medical professionals, the institution announced Monday in a press release. The former Medical Center of South Arkansas will be called the South Arkansas Regional Hospital, sharing its name with the local nonprofit that […]
Arkansas families describe living where lawmakers are hostile to their transgender children
Parker Saxton, 18, sings tenor in his high school choir and enjoys drawing. Sabrina Jennen, 17, also enjoys drawing and is considering a nursing career. Dylan Brandt, 17, works at a hardware store and is the manager of his high school’s cheerleading team. Brooke Dennis will be 11 this month and looks forward to playing […]
Arkansas librarians brace for impact of law making them liable for “obscene” content
Libraries across Arkansas are preparing for a potential wave of challenges when a new state law takes effect later this year, changing how libraries handle controversial material. But some public libraries have already seen an outpouring of public opposition to content that some consider harmful to children. Those librarians’ experiences offer a preview of what […]
Medicaid error fixed ahead of scheduled removal of ineligible clients, per Arkansas DHS
Several Arkansas Medicaid recipients were briefly disenrolled from the health insurance program last week due to an error at the state Department of Human Services, two DHS spokespeople said Monday. “Coverage has been restored for most of these beneficiaries, though there are some isolated cases that are being fixed today,” communications chief Gavin Lesnick said […]
$15M grant allows UAMS to study improvements to postpartum care for underserved Arkansans
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will conduct a five-year study of new mothers throughout the state to come up with improvements for postpartum health care and work to reduce maternal mortality, the institution announced Wednesday. Researchers will compare two postpartum health care models — the Telehealth Multicomponent Optimal Model and the enhanced standard […]
UPDATED: Saline County officials express support for library obscenity law after much public input
This story was updated at 7:15 p.m. April 18, 2023 BENTON — The Saline County Quorum Court on Monday recommended that the county’s libraries “relocate materials that are not subject matter or age appropriate for children, due to their sexual content or imagery, to an area that is not accessible to children.” A state law […]
Arkansas Legislature saw wide range of maternal and reproductive health legislation in 2023
Prenatal and postpartum healthcare policies rose on Arkansas’ priority list after abortion became illegal in the state, but did not rise high enough, according to advocates for the well-being of pregnant and newborn Arkansans. Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, introduced several bills to bolster this area of healthcare during the 2023 legislative session. Some made it […]
Arkansas lawmakers conclude work following approval of tax cuts, education legislation
From the state’s first female governor to an overhaul of the state’s education system, the 94th General Assembly brought unprecedented change to Arkansas. After three months of work, lawmakers adjourned Friday and plan to return on May 1 for the official end of the legislative session. “It started with a slow trot and ended with […]
Legislation on Arkansas governor’s desk would reboot $1M pregnancy resource center grant fund
Arkansas will offer another $1 million to pregnancy resource centers during fiscal year 2024 if Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders authorizes it. The state Legislature set aside the same taxpayer-funded amount last year to support “crisis pregnancy centers,” maternity homes, adoption agencies, and “social service agencies that provide material support and other assistance to individuals facing […]
Pronoun restrictions in Arkansas schools head to Sanders’ desk
Arkansas public school teachers and professors will be required to use the pronouns and names students were assigned at birth, unless parents specifically allow them to do otherwise, if Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs House Bill 1468 into law. The Senate approved the bill along party lines Wednesday. It would require written permission from a […]