Arkansas Hospital and Pharmacist Associations are voicing opposition to increasing managed care in Arkansas, in advance of legislators’ vote on a range of Medicaid reforms expected Monday.
The associations say polling of Arkansas voters shows opposition to contracting with managed care companies, which claim to reduce costs and determine healthcare programs for patients.
Brad Chism, of Chism Strategies, said likely voters responded negatively to managed care across ethnic and partisan lines. Surveyors spoke to 453 respondents.
"There's no ground swell of support among Republicans, or independents, or Democrats to move to this managed care model," he said. "We found that largely across education groups there was not a significant difference. Among income groups, nothing out of line.”
According to Chism, 37 of respondents opposed managed care at the outset. After responding to questions framed both for and against managed care, 54 percent of respondents said they were opposed.
The Arkansas Hospital Association said it is opposed to managed care because the service does not reduce costs and restricts treatment options.
