Arkansas Medicaid Waiver Denied, Risking Coverage for 200,000

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has refused to renew Arkansas’s ARHOME waiver, the state’s Medicaid expansion program that provides private‑insurance coverage to more than 200,000 low‑income adults. The denial, announced by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office, leaves the program set to expire at the end of the year. State officials are seeking a temporary extension while exploring alternatives such as moving beneficiaries to a traditional fee‑for‑service Medicaid model or adopting a managed‑care system.

At the same time, families of Arkansans with complex disabilities are confronting long waitlists and uncertainty under the Provider‑Led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity (PASSE) and the Community and Employment Services (CES) waiver. About 2,268 people remain on the CES waitlist, and coverage for essential equipment, such as home‑installed wheelchair lifts, depends on enrollment in the waiver. Advocates warn that recent policy shifts toward managed care and tighter federal oversight could further delay services for those who need them.