Monticello Live

Although we are still in the very early phases of our Private Option insurance programs, the Public Health committees have heard their first report dealing with the implications it is having on our state thus far:
1) Surgeon General Dr. Joe Thompson told the committee he is already hearing from hospitals across the state reporting a decrease in costs of uncompensated care since January.
2) The committee also heard that the average price of premiums on the Private Option is more than anticipated. The average premium right now for those enrolled is $483 a month.
3) This is due to the fact that some providers are offering coverage for dental and vision and this is creating higher premium payments. This will be addressed legislatively next year and it is expected to decrease the price of the premiums.
4) The Department of Human Services, along with members of the Public Health Committee, continue to explore options for cost sharing for those in the Private Option. One of the options currently being studied is creating health savings accounts for individuals making above 50% of the Federal Poverty Level. That discussion is in its earlier stages.
I was pleased to see that both Ashley County and Drew County have enrolled over 20% of their qualifying citizens in the Private Option. (There were only three counties to enroll over 20% of their qualified in the program. Baxter was the third county.) Ashley enrolled 406 of their 1746 for a 23% total. Drew County enrolled 334 of their 1415 qualified enrollees for a 23.6% total.
What does this mean? It means many people worked hard to get the word out and enroll as many qualified Arkansans as they could, especially since the legislature kept withholding part of the insurance department’s allotted grants. As promised, the legislature will continue to monitor the Private Option effects on Arkansas and its people regularly.
Another interesting topic was hashed and rehashed last week at the Joint Agri, Forestry and Economic Development Committees meeting. Several compromise rules were presented by the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission to govern feral hog “control” in the state after they received complaints from feral hog hunters that a law passed last year was too restrictive on movement of feral hogs.
The major rule changes included a change in fencing requirements easing these regulations. Another change will allow trappers to transport hogs at night to temporary holding facilities on their way to hunting facilities. Other changes were proposed, but tabled for now. It was emphasized that the 2013 law was enacted to protect agriculture and public/personal property from destruction by these feral hogs.
The hogs in question are not your farm animals, but are wild, destructive and dangerous creatures that can destroy a crop or pasture or pine plantation often overnight. Critics warn that they reproduce in great numbers and are rapidly spreading across the state, endangering cropland, grasslands and young timberlands, as well as drinking water and water quality.
The rest of my week was spent taking care of constituency issues and meeting with local groups.
Time to start those gardens!! Have a great week!!

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