HJAR Mar/Apr 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAR / APR 2023 43 information online by visiting the Access Arkansas website, or they can contact their local DHS county office. Nomatter how your patients like to communicate with us, we have them covered. Everything you need can be found on our ar.gov/renew web- site. We have created toolkits that include materials that talk about how important it is for Medicaid beneficiaries to look for and re- spond to the Medicaid renewal packets. These include printable flyers, graphics that can be shared on social media, sample email and text messages, and much more. And all information has been translated and made available in English, Spanish, and Marshallese to make it as ac- cessible as possible for all Arkansans. n Mary Franklin serves as director of the Division of County Operations at the Arkansas Department of Human Services. In that role, she oversees eligibility for the Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,and theTransitional EmploymentAssistance programs.Mary’s division also administers the Com- munity Service Block Grant, Emergency Solutions Grants,and the Refugee Resettlement Program inAr- kansas.These services are delivered through the DHS processing center and 80 county offices throughout the state. Mary has spent more than 25 years serv- ing Arkansans in the Division of County Operations. Throughout this time, she has had many roles in- cluding caseworker, caseworker supervisor, county administrator, division assistant director, and chief fiscal officer before being named director in June 2016. Mary at- tended Ouachita Baptist University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in ac- counting, and she is a certified pub- lic accountant. Mary Franklin Director of the Division of County Operations Arkansas Department of Human Services who are at risk of losing coverage and given information to share with those beneficiaries to encourage them to re- spond to renewal notices or contact the call center for help. • Enhanced beneficiary support for Qual- ified Health Plans (QHPs) and PASSE beneficiaries. QHPs and PASSEs have gotten lists of extended beneficiaries and have begun contacting those ben- eficiaries to assist themwith taking the steps necessary for renewal. Medical providers can help patients keep their Medicaid coverage by encouraging them to check the mail. If a patient gets a re- newal form, they should fill it out and send it toArkansas Medicaid promptly to keep their coverage. Patients can also renew quickly online at access.arkansas.gov. Beneficiaries also can still update their contact information online or by calling the Update Arkansas hotline at 844-872-2660. Hotline operators can quickly and eas- ily update mailing addresses, phone num- bers, and email addresses on file during the phone call. Beneficiaries can also update their Medical providers play a key role in sharing the message and en- couraging patients to prepare for the renewal process. There are two key messages in the RenewArkansas campaign: 1. Check your mail — Arkansas Medicaid will mail you a letter about your Medicaid cover- age. This letter will also tell you if you need to complete a renewal form to see if you still qualify for Medicaid. 2. Complete your renewal form — Fill out the form and return it to Ar- kansas Medicaid right away to avoid losing Medicaid coverage if you are eligible. The same pathways used to communi- cate the Update Arkansas messaging will be used again for the RenewArkansas messag- ing. Some of these outreach efforts include: • Awareness campaign including a wide array of contact points and formats, such as broadcast television and radio commercials and interviews, social me- dia posts, and ads on digital platforms like smart TVs, computers, tablets, and mobile devices. • Enhanced beneficiary support for CES waiver, AR Choices, PACE, Assisted Liv- ing, Skilled Nursing, Autism Waivers, and TEFRA. Each program has devel- oped outreach plans and support for beneficiaries throughout the renewal process. • Enhanced provider engagement (ARKids, ARHOME, Parent-Caretaker, Medicare Savings, etc.). Certain provid- ers will get secure lists of beneficiaries