HJAR Jul/Aug 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JUL / AUG 2022 45 information as part of the renewal process, had a level of care change that made themno longer eligible, or have aged out of eligibility. The PHE is currently scheduled to end in mid-July, but we expect that it will be extended beyond that date. DHS will begin transitioning back to normal eligibility operations, including removing the ineligible clients from the Medicaid rolls after the federal government ends the PHE declaration. DHS is committed to doing everything possible to ensure eligible clients remain covered after the PHE ends. DHS is implementing several short-term enhanced outreach and operational efforts to support individuals when needed. Some of these enhanced outreach efforts include: • Outbound calls to all extended clients before the PHE ends. • The UpdateArkansas campaign encour- aging clients to update their contact information. • Enhanced client support for CES waiv- ers, AR Choices, PACE, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, Autism Waivers, and TEFRA. Each program has developed outreach plans and support for clients throughout the renewal process. • Enhanced provider engagement (ARKids, ARHOME, Parent-Caretaker, Medicare Savings, etc.). Certain pro- viders will get secure lists of clients who are at risk of losing coverage and given information to share with those clients to encourage them to respond to renewal notices or contact the call center for help. • Enhanced client support for Quali- fied Health Plans (QHPs) and PASSE clients. QHPs and PASSEs have gotten lists of extended clients and have begun Amber El-Amin Public Information Coordinator for Medicaid Arkansas Department of Human Services contacting those clients to assist them with taking the steps necessary for re- newal. Updated lists will be provided monthly. Your role in these efforts is critically im- portant. Your patients trust you and what you tell them regarding their health cover- age. And the message we need you to help share is simple. Help your patients keep their Medicaid coverage by encouraging them to update their information as soon as possible by call- ing the Update Arkansas hotline at 1-844- 872-2660. Hotline operators can quickly and easily update mailing addresses, phone num- bers, and emails on file during the phone call. Clients also can update their contact infor- mation online by visiting the “AccessArkan- sas” website (access.arkansas.gov), or they can contact their local DHS county office. No matter how your patients like to communi- cate with us, we have them covered. Everything you need can be found on our ar.gov/update website. We have created a “Partners” toolkit and other materials that talk about how important it is for Medicaid clients to update their contact information. These include printable flyers, graphics that can be shared on social media, sample email and text messages, and much more. And all information has been translated and made available in all three languages to make it as accessible as possible for all Arkansans. We encourage you to share these materials in as many ways as possible and help your patients get ready to renew. Also, please remind patients to check the mail. As we get closer to the end of the PHE, Arkansas Medicaid will mail some clients a renewal letter asking them to complete pa- perwork to make sure they still qualify for Medicaid. If your patient gets a renewal form, they should fill it out and send it toArkansas Medicaid promptly to keep their coverage. Your patients can renew quickly online at access.arkansas.gov (online renewal is cur- rently not available for TEFRAclients). Lastly, they can also fill out the renewal form and mail them back to DHS or drop them off at their local DHS county office. n Amber El-Amin is the public information coordinator for Medicaid at the Arkansas Department of Human Services. El-Amin graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s in strategic communication with an emphasis on public relations (PR),and she has beenwith DHS since February 2022. In her role with DHS,she strives to informand help the public understand all aspects of Medicaid.