Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson http://governor.arkansas.gov along with the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) http://humanservices.arkansas.gov/Pages/default.aspx and the Arkansas Health Care Association www.ashealthcare.com recently signed an agreement to work together to improve services to help aging and physically disabled Arkansans.
The new initiative is designed to improve quality and availability plus save costs for long-term care services. By 2025, the number of Arkansans needing long-term services will increase by 25 percent. By establishing these reform efforts, the goal is to ensure that the state can financially handle what is down the road in the future.
Both groups have agreed to discontinue the practice of increasing the number of nursing home beds simply because the state population increases. Instead, they will focus on modernizing facilities and building out the necessary services and supports, particularly in rural communities. They expect the Medicaid program in the state will save an estimated $250 million over five years.
The Governor, the Legislature, and the Health Care Reform Task Force set the tone that encouraged DHS and the Arkansas Health Care Association to sit down at the table and ultimately reach this agreement.