Manatt's Deborah Bachrach, a partner in the firm's Healthcare division, was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA for an article on how Arkansas's Medicaid expansion plan can be a blueprint for other states.
Bloomberg BNA says that despite a recent report faulting Arkansas's Medicaid expansion plan, the state's premium assistance model can be a blueprint for other states that haven't yet made the decision to expand Medicaid coverage.
Bachrach said early indications from Arkansas are that its Medicaid expansion has been ''enormously successful'' and can be a good starting point for other states looking to expand coverage.
''Each state's [insurance] market is different and has to be evaluated on its own terms,'' Bachrach said, but the premium assistance model used in Arkansas is ''an attractive option.''
The Arkansas Medicaid expansion provides coverage through private plans on its state insurance marketplace. Even though it's only been operating for a few months, Bachrach said the program has resulted in nearly 200,000 new Medicaid enrollees, and has stabilized the private insurance market by providing more competition.