Hospitals: Note Area Codes
Many Arkansas hospitals will be affected by, and should plan for the state's new telephone area code which took effect April 14. The 870 code will stretch from some cities in the northern part of the state to the southwest, covering such areas as Harrison, Jonesboro, West Memphis, Pine Bluff, and Texarkana. The long familiar 501 area code will remain in effect in the state's most populous areas which include Little Rock, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Fayetteville, Rogers, and Springdale.

For the six months prior to October 6, calls that are made to hospitals in the 870 area will go through even if a caller dials the 501 area code. However, beginning October 6, the calls will not be completed. Callers will be required to dial 870. If they do not, the call will be terminated by a recorded message indicating that the caller has reached an incorrect number. The Arkansas Public Service Commission approved the new area code in November 1996. Arkansas needed a new number because of the growth of cellular carriers, pagers, faxes, and telephone lines.

Arkansas Hospitals: Investor Owned and/or Managed Hospitals

* A joint-venture partnership ** Operates as a not-for-profit hospital

Arkansas Hospitals: Members of Not-For-Profit Hospital Systems

*Leased and operated by Baptist Health ** A joint-venture partnership

ARKids First Legislation
According to a recent study by Families USA, a national health consumer organization, Arkansas ranked fourth among the states with the highest percentages of uninsured children, but Governor Mike Huckabee said that's about to change. He said the ARKids First program, signed into law March 10, will move the state from the top of the list to the bottom. Huckabee called the program a "landmark piece of legislation," and predicted that next year, the organization's report will show that Arkansas has the highest number of insured children.

The ARKids First Program will cost the state about $10.5 million annually, with the federal government spending another $32 million. Combined, the money will provide insurance for children 18 or younger. Many states already have similar programs. Most of the families covered will have household incomes that exceed the poverty level--set by the federal government at $15,569 for a family of three--but are less than twice the poverty level. An estimated 80,000 children qualify, but state officials expect only about half that number to participate in the program's first couple of years.

The governor said the program will save taxpayers money in the long run because small problems grow into larger, expensive medical conditions if left untreated. When hospitals treat patients who don't have any type of insurance, that increases taxes and fees on people who have insurance because providers are forced to pass along the costs. "For every dollar we spend on immunizations and other preventive measures, we save $10 that we would have to spend later on acute care," Huckabee said.

Comparative Financial Indicators, Community Hospitals, By State, 1995

Source : American Hospital Association
(All amounts adjusted to reflect outpatient volume)