An aide to U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton has been hired as a senior health policy adviser to Gov. Asa Hutchinson, the governor's office announced Monday.
John Martin, 30, will start work for Hutchinson on Sept. 8. He joins a growing number of health policy advisers to the governor as he considers ways to change the state's Medicaid program.
Martin will fill a budgeted position that has been vacant since Hutchinson took office in January, Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis said. He will be paid an annual salary of $90,000.
In a statement, Hutchinson said Martin's "expertise on health care is well known and his breadth of knowledge and experience on the issue will be of great value to my administration as we work to reform Medicaid and improve access to quality care for Arkansans."
Martin said in a statement that he is "excited about the governor's vision for an innovative, cost-efficient healthcare system that works for Arkansas."
As deputy legislative director, Martin is Cotton's primary adviser on domestic policy, including health care, agriculture and other issues, according to the release.
He began work for Cotton in 2013, when Cotton was a U.S. representative.
In 2012, Martin managed the grassroots operation for former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson's unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Martin has also advised energy and wholesale distribution companies as a consultant for Deloitte, the release says.
Martin has a bachelor's degree in supply chain management from Texas A&M University and is a native of Fort Worth, the release says.
In January, the governor called for a legislative task force to study changes to the state's Medicaid program, including a replacement for the private option, which provides Medicaid-funded coverage to more than 200,000 low-income Arkansans.
The task force has hired The Stephen Group of Manchester, N.H., under a $1 million contract to help it develop recommendations.
Hutchinson also appointed a 40-member advisory council to make recommendations on the issue and help the task force.
In July, Hutchinson hired Lanhee Chen, a fellow at the Hoover Institution in Stanford, Calif., under a $100,000, one-year contract to provide health policy advice.
Davis said last month that Chen will spend at least two days a month in Arkansas during the contract period. He will provide analysis on all health policy issues and help with negotiations with federal officials, Davis said.
The task force is expected to issue recommendations by the end of this year on a program that would replace the private option starting in 2017, when Arkansas will be required to pay 5 percent of the cost of coverage for those covered by the private option.
Hutchinson has cited the cost of the private option to the state and opposition by legislators and others as reasons to replace the program.
Metro on 08/04/2015