Beebe: Arkansans paying 'hidden tax' for health care for poor

Gov. Mike Beebe said Arkansans are paying a "hidden tax" for health care for the working poor in a speech Wednesday at the annual conference of the Association of Arkansas Counties.

Beebe said he spent 10 years on the board of a hospital in Searcy and knew that hospitals, doctors and other health care providers had to cover the bills of those who could not pay, and that patients who could pay bore the cost.

Arkansans should consider that when deciding whether to expand Medicaid under federal health care reform, Beebe said. The expansion would cover many of those costs, he said.

Upcoming Events