Arkansas submits amendments to private option for federal approval
Arkansas today submitted proposed amendments to the private option for federal approval. In order to pursue the private option — the state's unique version of Medicaid expansion which uses Medicaid funds to purchased private health insurance for low-income Arkansans — the state first had to secure approval for what's known as an 1115 waiver, a waiver of federal Medicaid rules allowing the state to experiment with a new approach. For the second year of the program, 2015, Arkansas is requesting three changes.