Community members gathered at the Arkansas Education Association last week to express concerns about the state’s most recent attempt to bring a Medicaid work requirement to Arkansas. The “Pathway to Prosperity” amendment adds work requirements for Medicaid in the ARHOME program in Arkansas. This failed policy caused tens of thousands of Arkansans to lose health care in 2018, and we are concerned the current proposal will harm hardworking Arkansans that are just trying to make ends meet.  

The storytelling panel included Camille Richoux and Hayley Cormican, Health Policy Director and Associate at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Trevor Hawkins, who participated in outreach to affected community members during the 2018 work requirements proposal, Unity Milner, a member of Arkansas Community Organizations, and Neil Sealy, Executive Director of Arkansas Community Organizations.  

Camille Richoux expressed her concerns on what these requirements could do to the Medicaid community in Arkansas, “The requirements the state is proposing are not new—we’ve seen them before, and we’ve seen the damage they cause. In 2018, over 18,000 Arkansans lost insurance last time these went into effect. People didn’t get new high paying jobs; they just lost health care. These aren’t work requirements, they’re paperwork requirements that make families jump through hoops to prove they deserve health care.”  

Neil Sealy of ACO spoke about how many Arkansans received health care for the first time when Medicaid expansion was implemented in Arkansas. In response to the work requirements that could take health care away from people, he said, “We must build community and move forward and win the things that will make lives better for everybody in Arkansas, everybody in the United States, we need health care for all. We must beat this down and then we’ve got to keep organizing and keep moving forward.” 

This public town hall co-hosted by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and Arkansas Community Organizations also provided an opportunity for community members to voice their concerns. The conversation focused largely on the dangers of this proposal and the success coaches were of great concern, one community member stating, “What they’ll probably succeed in doing is kicking you off your Medicaid coverage.” Financial strain was also a concern, with one community member stating that when she lost her Medicaid coverage, her only option was to file for bankruptcy. Unity Milner told the group that her son lost his Medicaid coverage due to a procedural error and “the medical bills from being uninsured for just a year were crippling.”  

Instead of helping people who are already struggling to make ends meet, these work requirements will grow government bureaucracy and create more red tape, resulting in thousands of Arkansans losing their health insurance. Health care is not a luxury. It’s a human right. 

If you missed the Town Hall, there are other ways you can make your voice heard and voice your concerns about this dangerous proposal, including submitting a public comment by May 10, 2025.  

How do I submit comments? Submit your comments here: Post a comment 

What are these requirements exactly? Read our explainer page here: Work Requirements Won’t Work for Arkansans Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) 

Where can I read the state’s full proposal? Read the full proposal here: medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demonstrations/downloads/ar-arhome-pa-pathwy-prspty-04102025.pdf