Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions Receives Approval to Participate in Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions announced today that it has received approval from the Arkansas  Insurance Department and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate as a Qualified Health Plan issuer in the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace, where it will offer a line of products branded as Ambetter of Arkansas.

With the implementation of the Federal Affordable Care Act and the Arkansas-enacted Health Care Independence Program (also known as the Private Option), health insurance marketplaces, or health exchanges will offer consumers a place to shop, compare and select an affordable health plan.  Consumers can start shopping during the initial Open Enrollment period beginning October 1, 2013, and going through March 31, 2014, and can compare and purchase Ambetter products on our www.ambetterofarkansas.com site.

Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions is a newly formed health plan with its core operational functions being handled by NovaSys Health, which has been providing services in Arkansas since 1996.  For the last 6 years, NovaSys Health has partnered with the State of Arkansas to manage the ARHealthNetworks Demonstration Project, a program designed to provide healthcare coverage to uninsured Arkansans.  Since inception the ARHealthNetworks program has provided healthcare benefits to almost 50,000 Arkansans.

"Participating in Arkansas'Health Insurance Marketplace is a natural progression from our previous experience of offering affordable and innovative services to Arkansans," said John P. Ryan, President and CEO of Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions. "Our marketplace offerings will be under the product name Ambetter, a name that exemplifies our commitment to providing access to quality, integrated healthcare for individuals that can help transform the communities in which they live, work and raise families."

About Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions
Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services.  Information regarding the Ambetter product line is available via the Internet at www.ambetterofarkansas.com.

SOURCE Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions