DHS: Empower waiver manager repaid settlement, cleared readiness review and may enroll new members

Department of Human Services officials told the Senate committee that Empower, a managed‑care pass (managed‑care entity) in Arkansas Medicaid, has 20,063 members as of Jan. 30 and that they have lifted Empower's prior suspension after a readiness review and remedial work.

DHS said the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Attorney General negotiated a repayment related to investigations that totaled just over $38,000,000; DHS reported that 75% of that amount was due to the state and that the repayment to the state was completed in December. DHS also described a readiness review process and said Empower moved from a conditional status to pass readiness as of Jan. 31; DHS will continue enhanced monitoring and regular reporting for at least six months.

DHS officials said they considered member access when deciding not to fully terminate Empower while investigations were ongoing and that they engaged other passes about their capacity to absorb Empower members. Committee members asked about new equity partners, and DHS said Empower’s new equity partner is Scribe and that earlier Beacon functions were replaced with subcontractors (Assured and others) described in DHS documents.

DHS said it will continue close oversight and encouraged members who need to change passes to use standard open enrollment or for‑cause change processes.