Panel reviews DHS rule to remove 90-day wait for children on Medicaid/CHIP, clarify postpartum child‑support rules
March 06, 2026 | 2026 Legislature AR, Arkansas
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Mary Franklin, director of the Division of County Operations for the Department of Human Services, told the Public Health Committee that the rule package she presented would affect Medicaid and CHIP.
"The first part of this rule change is removing the 90 day waiting period for children who qualify in the R Kids B program if they have lost or dropped health insurance, other health insurance group coverage," Franklin said. She said the second part clarifies child‑support enforcement requirements for pregnant women and defines the postpartum period as 60 days: "we have clarified that in our policy...and if they are currently under sanction, that would be removed until after the end of the sixtieth day postpartum." Franklin also said the department had removed the descriptor "forcible" from a good‑cause provision so the rule will refer to certain abuse‑related reasons in broader terms.
Committee members sought clarification about how the 'good cause' process would work in practice. The chair asked whether the policy meant a pregnant woman would be subject to child‑support enforcement even if she objected; Franklin explained an individual may raise a 'good cause' claim — for example, citing an abusive partner — and the department will make a determination before imposing sanctions or removing health coverage.
Franklin said there were no public comments and described a small fiscal impact tied to system changes this year, with an estimated $12,507 impact the following year. The chair reviewed the rule "without objection."
Why it matters: the change would shorten barriers for children who lose group coverage to get Medicaid/CHIP quickly and would suspend enforcement sanctions during the postpartum period while good‑cause claims are resolved, affecting parents who rely on Medicaid during pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period.
The committee did not take additional action beyond reviewing the rule at this meeting.
"The first part of this rule change is removing the 90 day waiting period for children who qualify in the R Kids B program if they have lost or dropped health insurance, other health insurance group coverage," Franklin said. She said the second part clarifies child‑support enforcement requirements for pregnant women and defines the postpartum period as 60 days: "we have clarified that in our policy...and if they are currently under sanction, that would be removed until after the end of the sixtieth day postpartum." Franklin also said the department had removed the descriptor "forcible" from a good‑cause provision so the rule will refer to certain abuse‑related reasons in broader terms.
Committee members sought clarification about how the 'good cause' process would work in practice. The chair asked whether the policy meant a pregnant woman would be subject to child‑support enforcement even if she objected; Franklin explained an individual may raise a 'good cause' claim — for example, citing an abusive partner — and the department will make a determination before imposing sanctions or removing health coverage.
Franklin said there were no public comments and described a small fiscal impact tied to system changes this year, with an estimated $12,507 impact the following year. The chair reviewed the rule "without objection."
Why it matters: the change would shorten barriers for children who lose group coverage to get Medicaid/CHIP quickly and would suspend enforcement sanctions during the postpartum period while good‑cause claims are resolved, affecting parents who rely on Medicaid during pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period.
The committee did not take additional action beyond reviewing the rule at this meeting.
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