CMS Grants Arkansas Six-Month Extension for ARHOME Medicaid Expansion
The Arkansas Department of Human Services announced that CMS granted a six-month extension of the state's ARHOME Medicaid expansion waiver, keeping the program in effect through June 30, 2027, starting Jan. 1. Arkansas had requested a two-year reprieve in August after CMS verbally denied a five-year extension, citing new budget-neutrality requirements under the federal tax and spending law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The hybrid program, which uses expansion funds to purchase private insurance for low-income residents, covers more than 200,000 Arkansans and its current waiver was set to expire Dec. 31. CMS said it will request additional information from the state needed for budget neutrality certification, while state officials and lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Andrew Collins, said they must now quickly design a replacement program during the legislative session starting in January.