The draft, open for public review for the next month, spells out details of the state’s plan to use additional Medicaid dollars for newly eligible beneficiaries to fund vouchers used to pay for health insurance premiums purchased on the state’s health insurance exchange.
Backers claim the model, dubbed by many as “the private option,” will be less costly than traditional government-administered Medicaid thanks to increased access to care, better competition and less hassle and fewer interruptions of care and coverage from beneficiaries moving in and out of eligibility as their incomes change. Studies call those cost-saving claims into question, however, as private insurers typically reimburse providers at higher rates than Medicaid.
Missing from the draft, as noted by the Arkansas Times, are measurement plans and benchmarks to evaluate the program if approved.
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