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News Release

HHS APPROVES ARKANSAS PLANS
TO HELP DISABLED ADULTS AT HOME

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today approved an Arkansas request to help aged or disabled adults remain in their homes and out of nursing facilities.

Arkansas' new home and community-based services waiver will provide services to adults age 21 and over whom otherwise would require care in a nursing home. Those served under this waiver will receive assisted living services, prescription drug coverage beyond that currently offered in the Arkansas Medicaid and medication counseling services from pharmacists. The state hopes to ultimately serve 1,000 people who, without this waiver, would not be able to live independently.

"Arkansas has been a real leader in finding creative ways to help people live independently in their homes and communities, rather than entering nursing homes," Secretary Thompson said. "This latest waiver will give adults the kind of benefits that they need to stay out of nursing homes and remain a part of their communities. President Bush and I want to encourage these kinds of choices for people across the country."

Medicaid is a state/federal matching program to provide health care services to certain low-income populations, primarily children, disabled adults and the elderly. States and the federal government share the cost of the Medicaid program.

As former governors, President Bush and Secretary Thompson have made it a priority to make it simpler and easier for governors to submit Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) waiver requests and to have those requests considered promptly. Since January 2001, HHS has approved waivers and plan amendments that have expanded eligibility to more than 2 million people and enhanced benefits for more than 6 million people.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: October 24, 2002