Legislators Still Shopping For Medicaid Consultant
by March 4, 2013 11:55 pm 66 views
A week after House Speaker Davy Carter (R-Cabot) said the Governor’s Medicaid meeting with federal officials nullified the need for legislative Medicaid consultant, one could be hired after all.
John Lyon with our content partner, the Arkansas News Bureau, reports:
A former human services official for Rhode Island and Pennsylvania has been proposed as a consultant to aid the Arkansas Legislature in dealing with Medicaid issues.
The Executive Committee of the state Legislative Council voted Monday to approve a contract for consulting services with Gary Alexander, former Rhode Island human services director and Pennsylvania secretary of public welfare.
Alexander is known as the author of the 2009 Rhode Island Global Medicaid Waiver, which allowed that state to implement various Medicaid reforms. Gov. Mike Beebe has requested a similar waiver for Arkansas.
The contract will go next to the legislative Joint Budget Committee for approval. The proposed contract would pay Alexander about $50,000 per month for four months, said Sen. David Sanders (R-Little Rock).
Legislators still contend they want an independent analysis of potential changes to Medicaid.
Read more on the subject at this link.