Arkansas Works will end on December 31, and today I’d like to talk about the program that will replace it.
We call the new program Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me, also known as ARHOME. Department of Human Services Secretary Cindy Gillespie’s team created a health care insurance program that does more than pay for medical care.
Historically, the role of health insurance companies has been to pay for doctor visits and protect against unforeseen expenses. ARHOME adds a third dimension to the role of health insurance plans – to assist their members to become healthy and to stay healthy.
The 93rd General Assembly voted to authorize this new waiver program, but legislators made it clear they wanted the insurance plan to accomplish more than provide access to medical care. They wanted to see a payoff of good health for the state’s investment in the health care system.
One way ARHOME aims to accomplish that is with three types of community bridge organizations, called Life360 HOMEs. One of the bridges, which will be based in community hospitals, will serve women with high-risk pregnancies. This maternal health initiative will educate women in their homes about health care during pregnancy – things to do and things to avoid so they have the best pregnancy possible, and so that their children are born healthy.
The second bridge will be based in rural hospitals and serve those with behavioral and mental health needs. The program will offer crisis intervention or acute care.