A Medicaid waiver request that is required to implement the Arkansas "private option" has received federal approval, the office of Gov. Mike Beebe announced Friday.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services called Beebe's office Friday to inform the governor of the approval, the office said in a statement.
Beebe's office said the "private option" will use Medicaid funds to assist more than 200,000 Arkansans living near or below the federal poverty line with their insurance premiums. The option will be part of the state health exchange that goes into effect Oct. 1, the office stated.
Read more about this story in Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.