by - December 11, 2025 7:34 pm
Arkansas, like other states, faces challenges in maintaining access to healthcare professionals, especially in rural areas. Analyses of healthcare workforce data by the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement show that…
by - July 16, 2025 5:26 am
The federal budget bill recently signed into law requires states to implement work requirements for adults in Medicaid expansion programs by 2029. Much of the attention given to this provision…
by - January 27, 2025 4:41 pm
Enrollment in the state’s health insurance marketplace is at an all-time high. As of Jan. 4, more than 160,000 Arkansans had selected an insurance plan during the open enrollment period,…
by - October 3, 2024 9:40 am
This summer the state’s healthcare industry suffered its first visible bruise from the clenched fists of private equity. Two hospitals serving Arkansas residents, Wadley Regional Medical Center facilities in Hope…
by - June 27, 2024 10:49 am
After learning of the impending closure of the maternity ward at a rural hospital in his state, U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden of Oregon introduced a bill last week that…
by - April 6, 2024 11:07 am
Although I haven’t birthed a baby, I am a dad who has been at my wife’s side during two very emotional and tense deliveries for the births of my sons….
by - March 18, 2024 6:53 pm
Just when the political ads have all but disappeared after the election this November, you will be bombarded with Medicare Advantage ads as open enrollment in the U.S. nears once…
by - February 6, 2024 3:51 pm
If you have been to a clinic or a hospital recently, you may have noticed newly posted signs that read: “We respect you. Please respect our staff. Attacking a healthcare…
by - January 4, 2024 10:03 am
Ten years ago this month, the major parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became effective. Two of the biggest were the availability of healthcare coverage through Medicaid expansion for low-income adults…
by - November 28, 2023 10:52 am
In September, Costco became the latest retailer to venture into virtual primary care, offering its members $29 telehealth visits, $72 standard lab panels with consult, and $79 virtual therapy visits….
by - April 6, 2023 3:59 pm
Medicaid enrollment in Arkansas exceeded 1.1 million enrollees during the pandemic due to increased need and federal restrictions on disenrollment by states during the COVID-19 public health emergency. In return for agreeing to…
by - January 12, 2023 7:30 pm
The year 2022 is behind us, and although we began last year hoping for a gradual return to normal after two years in a public health emergency, we continue to…
by - October 22, 2022 12:00 pm
Like many of you, I am feeling the pinch of inflation at the grocery store these days. I understand at a basic level why I am seeing higher prices for…
by - August 23, 2022 9:29 am
When I was a kid, the major duties of the school nurse, as far as I knew, were to patch up a skinned knee after recess, take the temperature of…
by - July 20, 2022 1:16 pm
The COVID-19 pandemic has put extreme stress on our health care workforce, resulting in burnout, exhaustion and trauma, and leading many workers to exit the industry. Critical staffing shortages during…
by - June 7, 2022 9:00 pm
As an alum of Lyon College, I was admittedly surprised at the college’s recent announcement of its intent to establish a dental school in Little Rock as part of a…
by - May 5, 2022 9:03 am
As the debate swirls around the potential for student loan debt forgiveness, a lesser-recognized but nonetheless persistent form of debt — medical debt — is getting a lot of attention…
by - April 5, 2022 4:24 pm
I’ve read a lot of columns recently that begin with the phrase, “If there’s one hard lesson we’ve learned from the pandemic ….” Well, this is not one of those…
by - March 8, 2022 6:30 pm
I’ve got a date this summer. It’s not a date about which I’m terribly excited. In fact, I’m not looking forward to it at all, but I know it’s my…
by - February 1, 2022 9:08 pm
I’m not really much on surprises, although I do like the kind when you find some cash in a jacket that you haven’t worn in months. Opinions on surprises such…
