TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO APPLY FOR A HOME- AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES WAIVER FOR THE AGING AND ELDERLY POPULATION IN THIS STATE.

Senate Bill 306 would have required the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) to apply for a federal waiver to expand home- and community-based services for the state's aging and elderly Medicaid population. The bill aimed to provide an alternative to skilled nursing facility care, allowing eligible individuals to receive support in their homes or communities. A key provision mandated that the average cost for these home- and community-based services must not exceed the average cost of institutional care, ensuring cost neutrality. This initiative sought to broaden care options for Arkansans needing services due to aging or elderly needs.