Arkansas purges 427K from Medicaid after post-pandemic roll review; Advocates worry about oversights

By DAVID A. LIEB and ANDREW DeMILLO
Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — More than 427,000 Arkansas residents were dropped from Medicaid as the Republican-led state became among the first to finish a post-pandemic review of its rolls. All states were required to resume annual eligibility reviews for Medicaid as a three-year federal freeze on removing people from the health care program ended in April. Arkansas moved more swiftly than most states because a state law required it to complete the review in six months. Figures provided by Arkansas indicate than more than half those reviewed were dropped from Medicaid. Health care advocates are concerned that some may have actually been eligible but simply failed to return needed information.