New Development In Arkansas Medicaid Reform On The Way

This session, state lawmakers have been pushing for Medicaid reforms to the existing program while simultaneously pursuing the “private option” health insurance model, which could come to a vote on Monday in the Arkansas House.

Add another leg to the footstool of reforms.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services and Sen. David Sanders (R-Little Rock) note a new development in the effort to make the state’s Medicaid program more efficient.

Late last week, DHS disclosed it will contract with Emerick Consulting “for a review of the Medicaid program and its interaction with the broader Arkansas health care market.”

Emerick is Tom Emerick, former vice president of global benefit design for Walmart Stores. He is credited with finding significant ways to reduce health care costs tied to Wal-Mart’s efforts to control expenses.

In this Forbes article, he is described as “a leading crusader for employers to protect the American public from unnecessary and dangerous procedures.”

DHS says it has not settled on the size, scope and duration of Emerick’s contract, but it is likely to be for a year or less.

In addition, Emerick will work to develop and implement innovations “with centers of excellence, cost and quality transparency, value-based purchasing and tele-health.” He’ll also focus on serving outliers and high-cost populations.

“Tom Emerick is a nationally recognized leader in health care reform because he has demonstrated an ability to drive down health care costs in the private sector,” said Sen. Sanders. “I have pushed for major structural health care reform in Arkansas and I am excited that he’ll be working to apply his knowledge, experience and innovative health care reforms here in his home state.”

You can read the DHS letter here.

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