Thousands of eligible children are not enrolled in the Arkansas state health insurance program, ARKids First, a report by the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families found.

Of the 65,000 uninsured children in the state, 43,000 are eligible for ARKids First, but are not currently enrolled due to complications with registration steps or the renewal process, the report found.

Simplifying enrollment and renewal procedures are essential for helping children in Arkansas get appropriate health care coverage, according to Health Policy and Legislative Affairs Director for AACF Elisabeth Wright Burak.

"We know that solutions exist because other states have implemented them such as paperless and/or automatic re-enrollment or offering continuous 12 month insurance," says Burak. "If we can embrace these new methods to keep children enrolled and create a more efficient system in the process, we can then begin the work of covering those children who currently don't qualify for ARKids First, yet desperately need medical insurance."

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that there were 7.3 million children nationwide without health insurance in 2008. According to the government, populations in the Northeast and Midwest had the lowest uninsured rate in 2008 at 11.6 percent.

Americans are feeling more optimistic about their ability to pay for and obtain health care, the consumer sentiment index from Thomson Reuters found.

The survey asks respondents to reflect on their experiences during the previous three months and anticipate their future encounters for the next three.

According to the index, there was a statistically significant rating change from 97 in March to 99 in April. This marks a rebound from February and March, when numbers fell.

When thinking about the past few months, respondents noted that they put off receiving health care services. However, looking forward, people expected that they would have an easy time attaining health care.

"We're seeing a bit of volatility so far in 2010 - optimism tempered by uncertainty regarding the economy and the future of the healthcare system," said the chief research officer at Thomson Reuters, Gary Pickens.

Increased optimism may stem from health care reform. The government has created several laws designed to make health insurance more accessible and affordable. According to the government, the reform will assist 32 million people obtain affordable health care through tax cuts.

Congress needs to clamp down on the pharmacy benefit management industry, says the Association of Community Pharmacists Congressional Network.

According to the ACPCN, increased prescription costs are a result of PBMs' corrupt behavior. The ACPCN says that they have been working with pharmacies to discover underpayments from insurers and inappropriate use of patient information.

The ACPCN wants Congress to introduce the "pharmacy bill," to help get costs under control. More than $250 billion could be saved over 10 years with the bill in place, according to the ACPCN. The bill would promote the use of local pharmacies and generic drugs.

"Members of Congress need to address the secret PBM practices that pharmacies in their districts have uncovered - PBM corporations are underpaying local pharmacies, misusing confidential patient information, and hiding money owed to taxpayers," stated ACPCN vice president for government affairs Mike James. "The time for comprehensive congressional action is overdue."

The current administration has made it clear that they are committed to reducing consumer costs for health care-related expenses. The government hopes to do this through several provisions under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Central line-associated bloodstream infections have decreased 18 percent last year, according to a report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Nearly 100,000 Americans lost their lives from healthcare-associated infections last year, according to HHS. In 2009, HAIs contributed to nearly $30 billion in healthcare fees.

"In the months to come, we will continue to strengthen our collaborative efforts to achieve the goals set forth in the HHS Action Plan to reduce HAIs," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "We will also continue to expand access to healthcare data for policy-makers, providers, and consumers so they can all make the most-informed health decisions possible."

The report will serve as a benchmark for future goals, says Sebelius. Other HAI prevention programs will be measured against it.

Patients can contract HAIs while in a nursing home or medical care setting receiving treatment such as surgery says HHS. Surgical site infections and pneumonia are examples of HAIs.

Reducing incidents of HAIs will help lower medical costs, which have steadily increased year after year.

Under health care reform, for the first time millions of low-income adults will be able to get health insurance through Medicaid, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Urban Institute.

The government's decision to make Medicaid more widely available will greatly lower the number of uninsured people, according to the analysis.

By 2019, the number of people on Medicaid is expected to jump by 15.9 million more than would have otherwise, found the analysis. The government is expected to cover 95.4 percent of the costs for Medicaid, with states covering the rest.

California and Texas both have high numbers of uninsured residents, the analysis discovered. With Medicaid being offered to more people, 1.4 million residents are expected to qualify for coverage by 2019.

"For a relatively small investment of state dollars, states could see huge returns in terms of additional coverage for their lowest income residents - with federal dollars covering the bulk of the bill," said executive vice president of the foundation Diane Rowland.

Young adults are more likely than any other age group to lack health insurance, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Roughly 30 percent of young adults lack health coverage.