Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
From her interest in health and wellness to a career in health policy and analysis, ACHI Director of Health Policy Jennifer Wessel is the focus of a profile by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
publications
Medicare Advantage is an optional component of Medicare that allows beneficiaries to receive healthcare benefits from private insurance plans instead of the federal government. This dashboard shows how enrollment in Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare has changed in Arkansas from 2013 through 2025.
Our new interactive dashboard displays publicly available data on Arkansas consumers’ plan selections and premiums on the health insurance marketplace, by county and statewide, for the open enrollment periods of 2020 through 2026.
Medicare is the single largest payer in the U.S. healthcare system, making it a critical source of revenue for hospitals. This fact sheet examines adjustments to Medicare’s basic payment models that seek to account for factors not fully captured in those models.
Blog Posts
From her interest in health and wellness to a career in health policy and analysis, ACHI Director of Health Policy Jennifer Wessel is the focus of a profile by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
New data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that marketplace plan enrollment in Arkansas decreased by 3.8% in the 2026 open enrollment period compared to 2025, but there was a shift in the types of plans selected and a notable increase in average plan premiums.
A proposed U.S. Department of Labor rule and a new federal law would add transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers alongside existing Arkansas laws regulating these drug pricing middlemen.
Maternal and infant mortality rates in Arkansas are among the highest in the nation, but a wide range of efforts are underway to change that. The Healthy Birthing Journey Podcast is a nine-part series in which we explore the data and issues behind maternal and infant health in Arkansas by speaking with the people working to improve outcomes for moms and babies across our state.
Each episode focuses on one of nine points on the birthing journey, from pre-pregnancy through delivery and into the postpartum period, where ACHI analysts and researchers have identified opportunities for Arkansas to make lasting improvements.
In the third episode of the Healthy Birthing Journey Podcast, we discuss the role of education and support networks for pregnant women in Arkansas and how they contribute to better maternal and infant health outcomes.
Podcast by ACHI
Limited access to nutritious food can undermine patient treatment and recovery. That’s especially true for the often long and arduous recovery many cancer patients face. Vulnerable populations who struggle with social and economic challenges such as food insecurity are at increased risk. Now a program called “Hope for Cancer: Healthy Outcomes Through Produce Prescriptions and Education” is exploring whether healthcare providers can complement a cancer patient’s existing treatment by increasing access to healthy, fresh foods through food-as-medicine interventions. To learn more about the program, we’re joined on this episode of the Wonks at Work podcast by Dr. Pete DelNero with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
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Health Policy Board Policy Positions and Statements
ACHI’s Health Policy Board consists of 21 voting members (and two ex-officio members) from across the state who bring diverse perspectives and interests on health. This independent, self-perpetuating board identifies and establishes strategic priorities, provides direction and guidance, and serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas. The Health Policy Board guides ACHI’s involvement in and position on specific policy matters, and it issues position statements that articulate the health needs of Arkansans.