HJAR Jul/Aug 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JUL / AUG 2025 63 Medicaid coverage. It is the same application. However, just because they are approved for PE-PW, they may not be approved for full Arkansas Medicaid. After they submit their application, DHS may request further information. It is very important that beneficiaries respond promptly to all letters from DHS regarding their application. If they do not respond on time, their request for coverage will be denied, and they will be responsible for paying all their labor and delivery costs. If beneficiaries have regular Medicaid health coverage when their baby is born, will their baby also have regular Medicaid health coverage? Yes, if beneficiaries have regular Medicaid health coverage when their baby is born, their baby will also have regular Medicaid health coverage. If they do not have regular Medicaid health coverage when their baby is born, they will need to apply for coverage for their baby. Again, it is very important that they respond promptly to all letters from DHS regarding their application during their pregnancy, so their baby is covered at birth. For more information about presumptive eligibility for pregnant women, beneficiaries can call or visit a local DHS county office. n Amber El-Amin is the Medicaid communications specialist at the Arkansas Department of Human Services. El-Amin graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s in strategic communication with an emphasis on public relations, and she has been with DHS since February 2022. In her role with DHS, she strives to inform and help the public understand all aspects of Medicaid. Amber El-Amin Medicaid Communications Specialist Arkansas Department of Human Services not covered by PE-PW, but they are covered by regular Medicaid. Also, PE-PW does not cover any services not related to prenatal care. How long are beneficiaries covered by PE-PW? Beneficiaries are covered from the day they are found to be eligible for PE-PW services until the end of the month after full determination of their ongoing healthcare eligibility has been made. For example, if beneficiaries are determined to be eligible for PE-PWservices any time in the month of October, then they are covered under PE-PW until the last day of November. What happens if a client is NOT approved for PE-PW? There are two different situations to cover here. • If beneficiaries are found to not be eligible for PE-PWwhen they first apply, DHS will still review their eligibility for regular Medicaid or other health coverage. • If beneficiaries are initially approved for PE-PW, but after their full application is reviewed, they are found to not be eligible for Medicaid, they don’t have to worry. They will not be responsible for paying for any visits that they had between the initial approval and the date their presumptive coverage ended. Arkansas Medicaid will pay for those visits for them. Do beneficiaries need to apply for regular Medicaid health coverage if they are approved for PE-PW? When beneficiaries apply for PE-PW coverage, they are also applying for regular Who qualifies for PE-PW? Beneficiaries can qualify for PE-PW if they meet all these rules: • They are residents of Arkansas. • They are pregnant. • They do not already have Medicaid. • They have not had PE-PW during this pregnancy. • They meet income eligibility requirements. How do beneficiaries apply for PE- PW? To apply for PE-PW, beneficiaries can fill out a healthcare application at any DHS office, online at access.arkansas.gov, or by phone at (855) 372-1084. They will need to provide some basic information when they first apply: • Full name. • Address. • Phone number. • Family/household size. • Gross monthly income. What services are covered by PE-PW? Services covered by PE-PW are: • Physician visits for prenatal care — for example, regular checkups, monitoring the health of bothmother and baby, and providing necessary medical care in a regular doctor’s office setting but not as a patient admitted into a hospital. • Emergency room (ER) prenatal visits. • Prescription drugs related to pregnancy. • Prenatal laboratory tests. What services are NOT covered by PE-PW? If beneficiaries are admitted into a hospital, services are not covered by PE-PW. This means that labor and delivery services are