Proposed Arkansas telemedicine regulations stall in legislative panel
By John Lyon, Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK — A legislative panel declined Monday to sign off on proposed regulations to allow doctors to treat Arkansas patients remotely using audio and video technology. During a joint meeting of the House and Senate committees on public health, welfare and labor,…
Doctor warns Arkansas legislative panel of opioid addiction epidemic in state
By John Lyon, Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK — Like the rest of the nation, Arkansas is experiencing an epidemic of addiction to opioids, or drugs that act on the nervous system to relieve pain, a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences professor told a state legislative panel Monday.…
AMS Trustees Address Tort Reform and Telemedicine
During the 2016 AMS Annual Meeting, the Board of Trustees voted to support a proposed Arkansas constitutional amendment that would limit attorney fees and allow the General Assembly to adopt caps on non-economic damages for medical malpractice lawsuits. The amendment has been filed and is currently gathering signatures.…
Arkansas Works Update
On Thursday, April 21, SB 121 (including funding for Arkansas Works) was passed in the Senate then signed by Governor Asa Hutchinson. When signing, Governor Hutchinson executed the expected line item veto, extending the life of the program from an original end date of December 31, 2016 to…
Arkansas Works helps Arkansans get back to work
Physicians across the state have seen first-hand the benefits of Arkansas Works/Private Option and are fighting to secure its funding. Under this program, hard-working Arkansans have been able to get the care they need, return to work faster and stay at work longer. Losing this program would create…
Baby wait list for Medicaid mostly gone
Article by Andy Davis, Northwest Arkansas Arkansas Democratt Gazette, 3/4/2016 In the past month, the state Department of Human Services has reduced by more than half the number of infants whose applications for Medicaid have been pending more than 45 days, a department official told state lawmakers on…
AMS Physicians Achieve Remarkable Legislative Successes
Once again, physicians stood up for their patients and profession, going 8-0 in the most recent legislative session. The Arkansas Medical Society went undefeated in the legislative session, passing all eight supported bills and defeating all 13 bills the Society opposed. AMS Legislation that became law: Prior Authorization…
Ax-it option is in, Medicaid’s reviewers told
Article by ANDY DAVIS, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, May 1, 2015 An advisory group studying Arkansas’ Medicaid program should explore alternatives that include giving up the more than $ 1 billion in federal funding the state receives annually to provide coverage to more than 200,000 low- income adults, Gov. Asa…
Attempt to repeal ‘private option’ rejected by House panel
The proposal to end the "private option" on December 31st failed today (Jan 29) before the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee. The vote was 8-10. The private option uses federal money to purchase private insurance for the poor. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has called on lawmakers…
Private Option, Budget and Tax Cuts on Legislative Agenda this Week
Capitol action will be plentiful during a short week as lawmakers and Gov. Asa Hutchinson return Tuesday for the state's legislative session. Hutchinson is scheduled to release his budget for 2015-2016 early in the week, have his tax cut proposal head to a state Senate committee Wednesday and…
How doctors changed the legislative, regulatory landscape in 2014
The collective physician voice carried a lot of weight in 2014—both in the nation’s capital and in the state legislatures. Changes that took place covered a broad range of issues, including better access to care for veterans, increased graduate medical education (GME) funding and important updates to the…