Arkansas: States Establish Frameworks for Health Reform

Arkansas is developing a strategic plan for health care that encompasses short-term, intermediate, and longer-term components. Work toward this goal is taking place through the Governor’s Implementation Group, which is identifying opportunities to implement improvements that do not require legislative or other action, including those that require cross-agency collaboration or coordination, and the Governor’s Roundtable on Health Care, which is developing strategies to improve health, deliver needed health care, and enhance both worker productivity and the state’s business climate. Nearer-term goals include developing a package of legislative initiatives for recommendation to the governor for introduction in the January 2009 legislative session, while building political consensus to help facilitate its passage.^[i]