Latest news with #SenatePublicHealth
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Arkansas postpartum Medicaid extension bill fails in Senate committee
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A bill to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers failed in its Senate committee hearing on Wednesday. House Bill 1004 had a relatively easy time passing the House after its introduction there, sending it to the Senate. The Wednesday vote in the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee, however, marked the end of its process. Bill to extend Medicaid postpartum care to 12 months passes Arkansas House, heads for Senate Advocates for the bill spoke about the importance of extending postnatal care for those who did not qualify for the ARHome program, which was the bill's intent. Opponents of the legislation were concerned about its expense. Others pointed out that Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders-backed Health Moms, Health Babies Act, passed earlier in the session, did not include the 12-month extension. Opposition included testimony from a Department of Human Services representative. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs 'Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act' into law Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies did streamline entry into the Medicaid maternal care process. The governor said earlier that she did not feel the state needed to extend postpartum care past 60 days. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Arkansas Senate committee rejects 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage
Elizabeth Pitman (left), director of the Division of Medical Services for Arkansas Medicaid, and State Medicaid Director Janet Mann (second from left) speak against House Bill 1004, co-sponsored by Sen. Breanne Davis (right), R-Russellville, before the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) An Arkansas Senate committee voted down a bill that would have extended Medicaid coverage for women 12 months after giving birth if they do not already qualify for the state's Medicaid expansion program. House Bill 1004 passed the House April 1 with a bipartisan 71 votes but failed in the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on a split voice vote Wednesday. More than half of births in Arkansas are covered by Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance system for low-income Americans. Arkansas' Medicaid expansion program covers people up to 138% of the federal poverty level, but since Jan. 1, 2023, Medicaid covers pregnant Arkansans with incomes of up to 214% of the federal poverty level, or about $45,200 for a family of 2 or $68,700 for a family of four. This coverage expires two months after birth, leaving many postpartum Arkansans to 'fall through the cracks,' said Sen. Breanne Davis, a Russellville Republican and HB 1004's Senate sponsor. Davis mentioned that Arkansas has one of the nation's highest maternal mortality rates and the third highest infant mortality rate. Maternal mortality is measured by the rate at which women die during childbirth or within a year of giving birth. 'We have got to address this holistically, and I think there's been a lot of really good work done, but it has not included this group of women,' who do not qualify for Medicaid expansion, Davis said. Extending postpartum Medicaid coverage has the support of legislative Democrats, and House Minority Leader Andrew Collins of Little Rock sponsored House Bill 1008, which is similar to HB 1004 but has not been heard in committee. Arkansas maternal health care landscape needs more coordination and teamwork, physicians say Without the policy outlined in the bills, Arkansas remains the only state that has taken no action to adopt the federal option of extending postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months after birth, according to KFF. Davis told the Public Health committee that the bill was 'narrowly tailored' and would not create any 'duplicative' services. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Human Services Secretary Kristi Putnam said repeatedly last year that 12-month postpartum Medicaid would be 'redundant' and 'duplicative,' since the state has other insurance coverage options for postpartum low-income Arkansans. A maternal health task force convened by Sanders did not include the 12-month policy in its September 2024 list of recommendations to improve the state's maternal health care landscape. State Medicaid officials Janet Mann and Elizabeth Pitman expressed DHS' opposition to HB 1004 Wednesday. Mann mentioned that DHS estimated it would cost more than $11.2 million to add 10 months of coverage to existing programs. DHS' assessment of the bill's overall fiscal impact states that the federal government would cover more than $8.8 million of the cost, leaving the state to cover less than $2.4 million. Davis told the committee that Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funds would support the proposed coverage extension. From July 1 to Dec. 31, 2024, roughly 60% of postpartum Arkansans remained Medicaid-eligible after the 60-day limit, according to two quarterly reports that a 2024 law requires DHS to submit to the Legislature. Putnam and Mann presented the first report in October, and the Advocate received the second report from DHS in February via a public records request. Arkansas DHS officials say they want to find insurance for low-income, Medicaid-ineligible new moms Of the 1,787 women who did not qualify for Medicaid past 60 days postpartum between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 42% of them had income above 138% of the federal poverty level, and 38% were not U.S. citizens, according to DHS' second quarterly report. By July 1, Arkansas' Medicaid program will include presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant Arkansans, reimbursements for doulas and community health workers and pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage for specific treatments, Mann said Wednesday. In February, Sanders signed the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act to put these policies into effect. The legislation had bipartisan sponsorship, including from Davis and HB 1004's House sponsor, Knoxville Republican Rep. Aaron Pilkington. One day we'll get these women covered, and I'm sure people will ask what took so long. – Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, House sponsor of HB 1004 The five Arkansans who spoke in favor of HB 1004 were all Black women; Arkansas' Black maternal mortality rate more than doubled from 1999 to 2019, according to a 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Extending postpartum Medicaid coverage is essential for 'helping families heal and remain together,' said Stephanie Garner, CEO of the Arkansas River Valley Area Council, a Russellville-based assistance organization for low-income families. 'Substance use disorders and mental health conditions don't resolve in two months,' Garner said. 'When coverage ends, I've seen women relapse, return to unsafe environments or even lose custody of their children, not because they didn't want to get better, but because they lost access to care that was helping them recover.' Danielle Wright, a single mother from Jackson County, said she lost Medicaid coverage after having her third child via an emergency Caesarean section that led her to seek mental health care. 'At one point [I was] even finding myself crying in a DHS office because I was having to prove a difficult moment that I was not ready to experience and relive in that moment,' said Wright, who also supported HB 1004 before the House Public Health committee in March. Maternal mental health 'cannot be separated' from maternal health as a whole, and untreated mental health issues during pregnancy can lead to poor birth outcomes and increased maternal mortality, therapist and social worker Mackenzi Foreman said. Foreman and Arkansas Birthing Project executive director Zenobia Harris both said they have worked with women who unexpectedly lost their Medicaid coverage while they were pregnant. Latoya Morgan said she supported HB 1004 on behalf of her friend, Helena Stanton, who died after the complicated premature birth of her third child. 'Shortly after giving birth, Helena began experiencing severe difficulties with her mobility, struggling to move her limbs and ultimately [to] breathe,' Morgan said. 'She didn't have access to a doctor until it became an emergency because she didn't have access to Medicaid.' After the committee voted down the bill, Morgan expressed frustration with the outcome in an interview, saying DHS officials and the majority of the committee lacked empathy for low-income pregnant Arkansans. '[Lawmakers] claim to be Christians and believers of Christ, but you're unwilling to take care of all of the people, the sick, the women that create life… because of what, funding?' Morgan said. 'Because it's not your sister, because it's not your wife, because it's not your daughter?' A 2023 bill similar to HB 1004 never received a committee hearing, and Pilkington was the House sponsor of both bills. He said Wednesday that he was disappointed HB 1004 did not advance. 'I promised that I wouldn't leave these women behind, and I did all I could,' he said. 'The fact that I had to fight back against so many lies was the most disheartening part about this whole process. One day we'll get these women covered, and I'm sure people will ask what took so long.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill to extend Medicaid post-partum care to 12 months passes Arkansas House, heads for Senate
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas House passed a bill on Monday that would extend post-partum care for Medicaid recipients if it becomes law. House Bill 1004 would extend the coverage from the current six months to 12 months. It passed with a bipartisan 71-10 vote, with 19 either not voting or voting present. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs 'Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act' into law The bill would provide extended coverage using funding from the Medicare and Medicaid Services Children's Health Insurance Program. The bill has been transmitted to the Senate, where it has received its initial votes and been forwarded to the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee for hearing. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has opposed extending Medicaid coverage to 12 months. The Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Act, signed into law by the governor on Feb. 20, changes and streamlines the Medicaid maternal care process but does not extend coverage. Arkansas earns an 'F' on March of Dimes report card for infant, maternal health In November 2024, Arkansas received an 'F' from the March of Dimes for infant and maternal health. According to Arkansans for Improving Maternal Health, the state leads the nation in its maternal mortality rate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Direct democracy takes center stage at Arkansas Capitol
Sen. Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock, speaks in opposition to bills that would regulate Arkansas' petition-gathering process on Feb. 12, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansans' ability to participate in the democratic process came into focus during the fifth week of the 2025 legislative session. Some members of the public took part in a rally Monday that advocated for policies supporting healthy kids and families. Others showed up to committee meetings to speak in support of or in opposition to proposed legislation. The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee, for example, heard testimony both for and against a bill that would have repealed state law requiring fluoride in drinking water. The proposal failed after a tie vote from committee members. Members of the public also continued to share their thoughts on a bill that would require public schools to show students a fetal development video produced by an anti-abortion group that has been criticized for being agenda-driven and medically inaccurate. House Bill 1180 stalled in the Senate Education Committee Monday after a handful of senators expressed their own concerns about the bill. Sponsor Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, expressed a willingness to amend the bill, which could be brought back up for consideration in the future. Sen. Ken Hammer, R-Benton, this week proposed six bills to regulate the ballot initiative process in Arkansas. Five advanced out of committee to the full Senate, which also approved all five bills Wednesday. However, only three of Hammer's bills garnered enough votes for an emergency clause, which would allow them to go into effect immediately upon the governor's signature. Hammer tried again on Thursday to get enough votes to approve the emergency clause on the final two bills, but the Senate votes fell short once more. While Hammer maintains the goal of his legislation is to improve the integrity of the petition-gathering process, opponents have argued it would make the process more restrictive and discourage Arkansans from participating. Arkansas' elections are overseen by the secretary of state. Hammer is running for the position in the 2026 general election. People packed into a room at the Capitol Tuesday to make their voices heard on a bill that would require Disability Rights Arkansas, a federally empowered disability advocacy group that doesn't receive state funds, to submit reports to the Legislature. Lead sponsor Rep. Jack Ladyman, R-Jonesboro, called for more oversight of the independent nonprofit because 'they provide services to our most vulnerable citizens.' DRA Executive Director Tom Masseau noted that 'no other private, nonprofit organization' is specifically named in statute, and said lawmakers were going down a 'slippery slope.' Public testimony was limited to two speakers — one for and one against — because a lawmaker called for immediate consideration following their testimony. House Bill 1382 passed, with some dissent from committee members. The legislation barely advanced out of the Arkansas House Thursday with only 53 members voting in favor. Eighteen representatives voted against the bill, 11 didn't vote and 18 voted not present. The bill will next be heard by a Senate committee. A legislative panel on Thursday advanced a bill that would abolish the state boards that oversee public libraries and Arkansas PBS and transfer those powers to the Arkansas Department of Education. Both are under the umbrella of the department, but act independently. Senate Bill 184 is sponsored by Jonesboro Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, a long-time critic of public libraries and Arkansas PBS. Sullivan said the boards 'rarely' make consequential decisions and the move would 'better align' with the goals of the legislative and executive branches. Sen. Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock, said he believed the Arkansas State Library and Arkansas PBS should continue to have oversight independent of the education department. Tucker was the only committee member to vote against the bill, which will next be heard by the full Senate. Lawmakers filed more than 100 new bills this week, including: Senate Bill 217 by Sen. Clint Penzo, R-Springdale, would require the Department of Human Services to request a waiver to exclude candy and soft drinks from eligible foods under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The governor called for these reforms in a December letter to federal officials. Senate Bill 223 by Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Little Rock, would create the Religious Rights at Public Schools Act. The bill would require public schools at the beginning of the year to distribute a copy of the act, which declares that students have 'broad religious freedom' to participate in activities like prayer and promoting religious activities at school. House Bill 1443 by Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, would create the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, which would prohibit government entities from keeping a list of privately owned firearms or owners of privately owned firearms. House Bill 1841 by Rep. Wayne Long, R-Bradford, would create the Anti-ATF Commandeering Act, which would prohibit the state from providing material aid and support for enforcing federal firearms laws. Issues between state lawmakers and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arose following the shooting death of Little Rock's airport director last year. Among the bills filed this week were proposed constitutional amendments. The Legislature can refer up to three such proposals to voters each session. Lawmakers filed 20 proposals in the House and 24 in the Senate by Wednesday's deadline. Although Monday is a state holiday — George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day — lawmakers will continue their session work with meetings beginning at 10 a.m. Updated schedules and agendas are available on the Legislature's website. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Committee rejects proposal to repeal Arkansas' water fluoridation mandate
From left: Chiropractor Dr. Bill Smith; Sen. Clint Penzo, R-Springdale; Rep. Matt Duffield, R-Russellville; and dentist Dr. Chester Clark address the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. Penzo and Duffield presented a bill that would have repealed the state's water fluoridation mandate, and Smith and Clark spoke in favor of the bill, but the committee rejected it. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) An Arkansas Senate committee narrowly rejected a proposal to repeal state law requiring fluoride in drinking water after supporters outnumbered opponents of the bill during public comment. Senate Bill 2 would have deleted an entire section of state statute that currently mandates: 'The company, corporation, municipality, county, government agency, or other entity that owns or controls a water system shall control the quantity of fluoride in the water so as to maintain a fluoride content established by the Department of Health.' Current law also requires the State Board of Health to adopt rules for 'permissible concentrations of fluoride to be maintained by a water system' and requirements for maintaining those concentrations. The benefits and potential risks of fluoridated water have been debated for decades, but it most recently became a national topic of discussion in September. A federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to place more regulations on the concentrations of the mineral in drinking water because large amounts of it could impair children's intellectual development. Dental experts recommend fluoride to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay. At Wednesday's Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee meeting, three people spoke against SB 2: Dr. Terry Fiddler and Dr. Niki Carter, both dentists, and Dr. Natalie Burr, a pediatrician representing the Arkansas chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. All three said there are credible studies showing that fluoride improves oral health while there are no credible studies that it poses a serious risk to public health, particularly for children. '[If] you drink a lot of water, that has a lot of benefits, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you have an over-amount of fluoride in your system,' Fiddler said. Proposed Arkansas legislation would repeal water fluoridation mandate, leave matter to local voters Carter is the dental director of insurer Delta Dental of Arkansas, and she said the state ranks last in oral health nationwide. She rebuffed a comment from Sen. Ricky Hill, R-Cabot, that this statistic might mean water fluoridation does not actually improve oral health. 'Removing fluoride from water would have a negative impact on Arkansans' oral health,' Carter said. 'In fact, removing it from our water systems will burden those with lower incomes and pre-existing dental conditions… These same people have fewer prevention options and already have to deal with the socioeconomic barriers that make it difficult to maintain a healthy diet or access to dental care.' In 2023, the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement's Health Policy Board reaffirmed its support for required statewide fluoridation of public water systems. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended fluoride concentration in drinking water since 2015 is 0.7 mg of fluoride per liter of water, and the World Health Organization recommends a 1.5 mg-maximum fluoride concentration. Supporters of SB 2 emphasized the dangers of consuming large amounts of fluoride, while opponents emphasized the benefits of consuming smaller amounts. The nine supporters of the bill included doctors, water utility administrators and concerned citizens. Dr. Chester Clark, a dentist, claimed studies from the 1950s about the benefits of fluoride were 'falsified.' He also noted that books have been written claiming water fluoridation is toxic, such as The Fluoride Deception and The Case Against Fluoride. 'I have yet to see one book that's written showing the safety of fluoride,' Clark said. 'It seems like if it's such a great thing, there should be some books written about it.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Clark and other supporters of the bill also said fluoride could cause bone damage, and he called water fluoridation 'experimentation on humans without their informed consent.' Dr. Bill Smith, another supporter, spoke for 20 minutes about the potential harm of fluoride on the human body. 'We've put a regulated drug into the water supply, and we haven't given the people a choice to accept or refuse administration of this drug,' Smith said. Committee chairwoman Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, asked Smith if he was a dentist; Smith said he is a 'well-educated chiropractor.' Smith, Penzo and others who supported the bill said they accepted the benefits of fluoride on tooth enamel via mouthwash and toothpaste but specifically opposed the ingestion of the chemical. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump nominee for U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, has called fluoride an 'industrial waste' that causes a range of diseases. Health experts said his claims are misleading, according to KFF Health News. SB 2 was not an attempt to conform to the public health stances of Kennedy and Trump, said Rep. Matt Duffield, R-Russellville, the bill's House sponsor. Duffield said he has made a conscious effort not to consume fluoride for the past 14 years and has 'not had a single cavity since then.' CONTACT US Representatives of the Arkansas Rural Water Association and the Ozark Mountain Regional Public Water Authority spoke in favor of the bill. After public comment, the committee's voice vote to pass the bill was split, and the audience reacted negatively to Irvin declaring the bill had failed. On a roll call vote, Penzo, Hill and two other Republicans, Scott Flippo of Bull Shoals and John Payton of Wilburn, voted for the bill. Five votes are necessary for bills to pass eight-member committees. Irvin was one of four senators to vote no, along with Sen. David Wallace, R-Leachville, and Democratic Sens. Greg Leding of Fayetteville and Fredrick Love of Mabelvale. Senate Bill 4, also sponsored by Penzo and Duffield, would build on the foundation laid by SB 2 if it were to become law. SB 4 would put fluoridation of water systems in the hands of city or county voters, and it has been deferred in the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs.
