Two House Democrats on Monday filed legislation that would force the Department of Human Services to reinstate more than 18,000 people who were kicked off the Arkansas Works Medicaid program after they were deemed to have failed requirements to report work or other activities.
House Bill 1966 -- with an emergency clause that would allow the bill to go into effect immediately upon passage -- was filed by Reps. Andrew Collins of Little Rock and Reginald Murdock of Marianna.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday said he opposes the bill. His statement noted that people removed for noncompliance in 2018 have the option to re-enroll themselves.
"Of those 18,000, less than 2,000 have re-enrolled," Hutchinson said. "Where are the other 16,000? It's very likely that these individuals are either making more money or do not qualify. In any case, we should not be putting people who do not qualify back on the program."
"This legislation would do more harm than good," Hutchinson said in a statement.
The work requirement for Arkansas Works was struck down by a federal judge last week, upending prospects for the program in the waning weeks of the ongoing legislative session.
On Friday, lawmakers voted down an appropriation that would renew spending authority for the entire state Medicaid program, which provides health coverage to more than 882,377 Arkansans.
A second vote on the Medicaid appropriation is expected this week. Meanwhile, Democrats will have just two weeks to attempt to build support for returning Medicaid enrollees to the program before the session comes to a close.
-- John Moritz