Arkansas will lift the suspension on Medicaid verifications and terminations, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday during a news conference at the state Capitol.
In addition, an agreement has been reached to provide pharmacy benefits for 30 days to certain individuals covered by two insurance carriers — Blue Cross Blue Shield and Centene — who have been sent a notice of termination.
Insurance carrier QualChoice was not part of the agreement reached this week.
Hutchinson said that since a pause was instituted, the state Department of Human Services has taken a number of steps to remove a backlog, including having 300 agency employees work 2,200 hours of overtime.
Arkansas' governor suspended Medicaid termination notices for two weeks earlier this month in a move that expired Tuesday.
The suspension was announced to allow the Department of Human Services to address what Hutchinson called "anecdotal" reports that coverage was canceled for some Medicaid recipients who remained eligible.
More than 35,000 people had their coverage terminated, most of who are on the state's compromise Medicaid expansion.
Hutchinson also lifted a hiring freeze on 35 positions within the department to aid in clearing a backlog of records.
Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.