Medicaid Primary Care Physicians Arkansas

I What Are Arkansas Telemedicine Policies

Parity Laws

Parity laws ensure the equal treatment of entities over which they govern. Arkansas new law mandates that health insurance companies cover telemedicine appointments at the same rates as in-person visits, so there is no economic loss to doctors who offer these services to their patients. Thats great news for you because more doctors will make this a regular part of their practices, giving you more options.

Arkansas Medicaid only reimburses live, electronic two-way communication, whether it is a live video or over the telephone. Arkansas requires private health insurance companies to cover live video and two-way telephone communication. The state allows physicians licensed by the state to provide telemedicine appointments. Temporary licenses to practice medicine through telemedicine were issued to border states through an executive order at the height of the early days of the pandemic, but those licenses have since expired.

Eligible Health Care Providers

The following is a list of the types of providers eligible for telemedicine appointments, but it is not exhaustive:

• Physicians
• Registered dietitians or nutrition professionals
• Nurse-midwives

How To Select A Primary Care Provider

Not all PCPs are doctors. Some are nurse practitioners or physician assistants. All are qualified to treat you. You may choose different types of PCPs depending on your situation.

• Family or general practitioner. These doctors care for a wide range of health concerns and may be able to treat family members of any age.
• Internist. Internists treat adults and may have additional training.
• Pediatricians. Pediatricians specialize in healthcare for children and adolescents.
• Geriatricians. These doctors focus on healthcare for older adults.
• Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist or Physician Assistant. These are educated and certified professionals qualified to help you.

Selecting a PCP in your network may help you save money. If you need a primary care provider, please visit

Statistical Method And Model

The statistical method used for this evaluation is known as pooled cross-sectional time series analysis, or panel analysis in the econometrics literature . Panel analysis involves the simultaneous analysis of several contemporaneous time series for different units. Units refer to the 21 Federal eligibility groups, denoted by the subscript , while time series, denoted by subscript , refer to the 15 quarters spanning the period October 1991 to June 1995.

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does not require a constant term when all 21 eligibility group dummy variables are included. The specification of the equation centers the regression analysis at the mean of the dependent variable. The statistical model is estimated by ordinary least squares multiple regression using the computer algorithm in RATS 4.10 unless otherwise noted. The PCP program effectiveness is determined by the statistical significance of the multiple regression coefficients associated with the Medicaid eligibles enrollment rate variable.

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Expected Effects Of Arkansas Pcp Program

The Arkansas PCP program is an FFS primary-care case-management program a form of managed care considered least restraining from the provider’s perspective . It allows for voluntary participation by primary-care providers and provides financial incentivesa monthly $3 feeto assume the patient management role. The monthly fee is paid per enrollee regardless of whether the enrollee uses services. Therefore, the program neither provides incentives to prescribe unnecessary medical services, nor does it put the provider at risk by financial withholds. The primary-care provider refers patients to specialists when medically necessary in order to ensure access to more expensive medical services as needed.

Why Choose A Pcp At Uams

Heres what makes our primary care providers different: We combine the science of medicine with the art of delivering outstanding medical care through the Patient-Centered Medical Home approach.

This means that our health care providers create a medical home for you, where all of your health needs can be addressed. When you visit a primary care provider at UAMS Health, you arent just getting one provider. Thats because if you do have health issues that need to be addressed by a specialist, youre already a UAMS Health patient. And UAMS Health is home to the widest range of specialists in the state, ranging from experts in diabetes to innovators in cancer treatment.

This unique relationship of primary care physicians with our large community of specialists is positioned to provide you with the very best of care.

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Area Of Expertise: Primary Care

Primary care is a term used to describe the setting in which a health care provider acts as the first point of consultation for a patient. The term PCP can stand for one of two things:

• Primary care physician: A doctor with a medical degree.
• Primary care provider: Can include nurse practitioners and other health care providers who are not medical doctors.

Seeing a primary care provider is a great way to get healthy and stay that way. At UAMS Health, we can help you set healthy goals, evaluate your progress and treat any illnesses that occur along the way.

How Do You Get A Pcp

The ways to choose a PCP are:

• Go to the doctors office,
• Go to the DHS office in your county, or
• List your choices for a PCP on the Medicaid or ARKids First application.

You must make sure the PCP you choose is a Medicaid or ARKids First provider. If you need a list of PCPs who take Medicaid or ARKids First, call ConnectCare or visit your county DHS office. The list tells you:

• The doctors name.

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Online Doctors In Arkansas

With the pandemic making telemedicine visits the new normal worldwide, you may be happy to know that Arkansas has unrestricted telemedicine across the state. Governor Asa Hutchinson expanded telemedicine in Arkansas when he signed a new law in 2020 affecting its accessibility. Telemedicine had already been available since 2017 but only after an initial in-person visit.

The new law lets you have your first visit with a medical practitioner virtually or over the telephone in the comfort and safety of your own home. When emergencies occur, such as a pandemic, states may introduce waivers, as Arkansas did. These laws could be reinstated or reversed as the government sees fit, but many feel telemedicine is here to stay.

Governor Hutchinson signed the Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration Project waiver in 2020 that expands coverage of telemedicine services for Medicaid patients specifically, and Medicare changed its policies to cover telemedicine appointments. All of these changes allow you to take advantage of online services offered by doctors.

Physicians can issue prescriptions for most medications during telemedicine appointments, but some controlled substances and regulated medical treatments may still require an in-person visit.

Find A Primary Care Physician Near Me

When you are part of the CHI St. Vincent Medical Group in Arkansas, you get convenient, nearby access to medical clinics, primary care clinics, and healthcare specialists. You also benefit from our unified, electronic health record. This helps your family doctor gain a comprehensive understanding of your health history. Use our patient portal to view your test results, make appointments, and send secure messages to your doctor – anytime, anywhere. We also offer Community Care clinics accepting Medicaid and serving low-income and under-insured patients.

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Selection Of Data And Analysis Sample

Initially, the evaluators proposed to study the impact of the Arkansas PCP program using monthly adjudicated claims records from July 1991 to June 1995 for the six major Federal maintenance assistance/eligibility groups . However, two significant problems arose. Monthly data were not available by Federal Medicaid classifications, but instead were available by Arkansas Medicaid Aid class. A special computer run of approximately 56 million records would have been required to produce monthly data in the required form. To avoid undue expense and project delay, quarterly data of adjudicated claims by Federal classification were obtained in hardcopy form from the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services. Similar data should be available in States participating in MSIS.

also reports Medicaid eligibles’ PCP enrollment rates as of June 30, 1995, by Federal maintenance assistance/eligibility groups. The percentage figures show that PCP enrollment varies substantially by Federal eligibility group. A separate computer run was needed to determine the enrollment trends, since these data are not contained in the HCFA-2082 reports.

Arkansas Medicaid Expenditure Analysis

The following section estimates the impact of Arkansas PCP enrollment on Medicaid vendor payments during the first 17 months. The results of the regression analysis 3) are presented for total Arkansas Medicaid expenditures and selected types of expenditures: hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, physicians, prescription drugs, and laboratory and X-ray expenditures. These expenditure classes were chosen because they are standard Medicaid reporting categories and are likely to show the impact of the PCP program.

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Features And Implementation Of The Arkansas Pcp Program

The Arkansas Medicaid PCP Management Program was patterned after Kentucky’s KenPAC program and is a fee-for-service primary-care gatekeeper enrollment program . Under this type of managed care, the Arkansas Department of Human Services contracts with five primary-care physician specialties who, in exchange for a $3 per person per month fee, assume certain patient management responsibilities, including the provision of comprehensive primary care, referral to specialists when medically necessary, and 24-hour per day live-voice access for referral to a physician on call. Medicaid eligibles are required to sign up with a primary-care provider and use this provider first, except for true medical emergencies.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services began recruiting primary-care physicians in October of 1993 by September 1995, 1,287 primary-care physicians had agreed to participate in the Medicaid PCP provider network. Each network provider was allowed to enroll up to 1,000 persons. However, some providers were permitted to enroll more Medicaid eligibles, if they had a large Medicaid patient load prior to program implementation or no other participating providers were located within reasonable distance of the Medicaid eligible.

Your Primary Care Physician

A primary care physician, also called a PCP, is a doctor who takes care of you and helps you stay healthy. Your PCP will provide most of your health care. Your PCP will keep a record of your health and your health care. If you need special care for a health problem, your PCP will make the arrangements and tell you where to go. You will need your PCPs okay, called a referral, in order for Medicaid or ARKids First to pay.

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How Do I Find A Medicaid Physician

While the Medicaid system helps people who find the traditional healthcare system unaffordable, it makes it much harder to find a suitable physician. There are several directories and sources of information which can help you choose a Medicaid physician in your area. You will also have to exercise much more care in making the right choice as you have fewer options for changing provider if your first choice proves unsatisfactory.

Readers outside the United States should note that this article deals with the US healthcare system. Medicaid is the US system for providing healthcare to people on low incomes who fall into defined categories of eligibility. While the principles of this article may apply to you, you should not rely on it to be entirely relevant or appropriate for the healthcare system in your country.

It’s important to note that unlike the federal Medicare system, Medicaid involves both federal and state government. This means the funding, both as a raw number and per patient, may vary considerably from state to state. Because of this, there may be fewer Medicaid physicians available in your state. You may also find that eligibility for Medicaid varies from state to state.

Introducing Arkansas Total Care

Arkansas Total Care is committed to providing whole health solutions for people with IDD and Behavioral Health needs. Our unique, person-centered approach ensures each individual receives comprehensive care coordination tailored specifically for them. With over 20 years of experience, the partners at Arkansas Total Care provide support services that collectively create healthier, happier individuals ultimately improving their overall quality of life.

Do you need more information or have a question? Please reach out to our Member Support Services at 1-866-282-6280 or TTY: 711.

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Data Entry Verification And Data Transformation

As the first step, selected quarterly utilization and expenditure data were entered into a spreadsheet. The data base of approximately 24,000 numbers was verified by two persons comparing each spreadsheet entry with the corresponding quarterly report entry. Data verification indicated a .3 percent error rate the incorrect entries were subsequently corrected. The data base for the following analysis ought to be identical with data in the quarterly reports prepared by the fiscal intermediary Electronic Data Systems .

Since the HCFA-2082 report presents quarterly data cumulatively for each Federal fiscal year , the data had to be differenced and the first FFY quarter value was replaced with the corresponding value in the original series. This operation was applied to all expenditure and utilization series it yields time series of quarterly data. The transformed time series starts with the first quarter of FFY 1992 and ends with the third FFY quarter of 1995 and consists of 15 quarterly observations for 21 Federal eligibility groups. The maximum sample size only contains observations because two time series started in 1993.

Health Connections: Afmc Connectcare Program

The ConnectCare program is now a part of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care. For more information, click here.

ConnectCare is a program that assists Medicaid and ARKids First families in finding a medical home by linking them to a primary care physician and dental care. ConnectCare has 3 components: Toll-Free Telephone Helpline, Dental Coordinated Care Program and Health Promotion and Outreach. More information is available through the ConnectCare website.

TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE HELPLINE

The Toll-Free Telephone Helpline, 1-800-275-1131, operates Monday through Friday 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. ConnectCare Helpline Specialists assign or change PCPs at the request of Medicaid and ARKids First beneficiaries. These Specialists also send information, answer questions, and refer beneficiaries to the most appropriate resource. Spanish speaking callers also have access to a designated Bilingual Helpline Specialist who also assigns or changes a PCP, problem solves issues and responds to Medicaid and ARKids First questions Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Beneficiaries can also obtain information and request a PCP online through the ConnectCare website.

DENTAL COORDINATED CARE PROGRAM

HEALTH PROMOTION AND OUTREACH

Funding for the ConnectCare program comes from Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services.

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Medicaid Primary Care Payment Error

Physicians who have attested to participate in the enhanced Medicaid primary care payment project may have received a lessor amount than was expected due to an error in processing. The ACA contained a provision requiring state Medicaid programs to increase payments to primary care physicians for primary care services to at least Medicare rates for 2013 and 2014, representing approximately a 25 percent increase for Arkansas physicians. Arkansas Medicaid is implementing the increase as a quarterly supplemental payment.

Several codes including immunizations were omitted from the first payment covering services billed during the first quarter of 2013. Physicians who contacted the Arkansas Medical Society reported that the amount they received appeared to be about one-half what they were expecting. The Society has been in close contact with Medicaid and HP regarding this issue. As a result, HP has made corrections in the process and will automatically calculate a supplemental payment expected to be sent to physicians within the next two weeks. Qualifying physicians should be receiving the second quarter enhanced payment by the first week of August.