Arkansas lawmakers vote to fund state's alternative to Obamacare

By Steve Barnes LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Reuters) - The Arkansas House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to fund the state's so-called "Private Option" medical insurance program that has drawn interest from lawmakers in other states as an alternative to Obamacare. The measure, which had earlier passed the state Senate, received 76 votes, one more than necessary in the 100-member House. This ended a more than week-long standoff over the health insurance program for lower-income residents. The Private Option uses $915 million in federal Medicaid funds from the Obama Administration's Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, to purchase health insurance for employed individuals whose earnings hover just above the federal poverty level.



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