Arizona KidsCare is the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, offering free health coverage to children under 19 whose families earn too much to qualify for AHCCCS Medicaid but still need help paying for care. The program is run by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and currently charges no monthly premium.1Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. KidsCare – Arizona’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Applications are accepted year-round, and eligibility turns on your child’s age, where they live, their citizenship or immigration status, your household income, and whether they already have other insurance.
Who Qualifies
Your child can be enrolled in KidsCare if all of the following are true:
- Under 19 years old
- Living in Arizona
- A U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant
- Not already covered by another health insurance plan
- Not eligible for regular AHCCCS Medicaid, with household income within KidsCare limits
AHCCCS screens every applicant for Medicaid first. If your child qualifies for standard AHCCCS, they’ll be enrolled there instead of KidsCare.1Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. KidsCare – Arizona’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) KidsCare also can’t be stacked on top of other insurance. A child covered by a parent’s employer plan is ineligible even if the family’s income would otherwise fit. Federal rules finalized in 2024 removed the old waiting period, so eligible uninsured children can enroll right away.2Federal Register. Streamlining the Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Basic Health Program Application, Eligibility Determination, Enrollment, and Renewal Processes
Income Limits
Eligibility uses gross household income before deductions. AHCCCS updates its income table in early February each year after new federal poverty guidelines come out. The current monthly limits, effective February 2025, are:
- 1 person: $2,935
- 2 people: $3,966
- 3 people: $4,997
- 4 people: $6,029
- 5 people: $7,060
- 6 people: $8,091
These numbers come from the Federal Poverty Level guidelines.3Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. KidsCare Income Limits For reference, the 2026 poverty guidelines set 100% of the FPL at $33,000 per year for a family of four.4U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines Check the KidsCare page on the AHCCCS website for the latest table before you apply.
“Household” means the people you’d include on a tax return. AHCCCS counts wages, self-employment earnings, Social Security benefits, and other regular income.
What It Costs
Nothing, right now. AHCCCS has suspended KidsCare monthly premiums until further notice.1Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. KidsCare – Arizona’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) If that suspension ever ends, federal law caps total out-of-pocket costs for CHIP families above 150% of the Federal Poverty Level at 5% of household income, with stricter limits for lower earners.5Medicaid.gov. CHIP Cost Sharing Arizona also ended its premium lockout rule in 2025, so a family that previously fell behind can no longer be blocked from re-enrolling.
What KidsCare Covers
Coverage is broad. Benefits include doctor visits, immunizations, hospital and emergency care, lab work and X-rays, prescriptions, dental, vision, and behavioral health services, plus other medically necessary care.6Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. KidsCare Covered Services
Dental covers cleanings, fillings, and oral surgery. Vision pays for annual exams and corrective lenses when prescribed. Behavioral health addresses conditions such as anxiety, depression, and developmental concerns. Arizona is one of ten states that applies the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) standard to its CHIP program, which means enrolled children are entitled to regular screenings and any treatment needed for conditions those screenings uncover.
How to Apply
KidsCare uses the same application as other AHCCCS programs. Before you start, pull together:
- Social Security numbers for each person applying for coverage. SSNs for household members not seeking coverage are optional, and immigrants who cannot legally obtain an SSN don’t have to provide one.7Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. Application for AHCCCS Medical Assistance and Medicare Savings Programs
- Proof of Arizona residency, such as a utility bill or lease.
- Income verification: recent pay stubs for wage earners, the most recent tax return for self-employed applicants, and award letters for benefits like Social Security or child support.7Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. Application for AHCCCS Medical Assistance and Medicare Savings Programs
- Information on every household member and their relationship to the child.
- Details on any employer-sponsored insurance available to the child, even if the family declined it.
You can submit three ways:
- Online through Health-e-Arizona Plus at healthearizonaplus.gov, which also lets you upload supporting documents.8Arizona Department of Economic Security. Health-e-Arizona Plus Application for Benefits
- By mail, to the AHCCCS address on the application form.
- By fax, to the number on the form.
AHCCCS processes KidsCare applications within 45 calendar days.9Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. Eligibility Information You’ll get a written notice telling you whether your child was approved or denied, and if approved, the coverage start date and health plan instructions. You can also track status in the Health-e-Arizona Plus portal. If 45 days pass with no decision, federal rules give you the right to request a review of the delay and keep moving through enrollment while it’s resolved.2Federal Register. Streamlining the Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Basic Health Program Application, Eligibility Determination, Enrollment, and Renewal Processes Don’t wait indefinitely. Call AHCCCS if you haven’t heard anything by six weeks.
Keeping Coverage: Annual Renewal
KidsCare isn’t permanent. AHCCCS reverifies eligibility periodically, and coverage ends if the renewal isn’t completed. About 75% of renewals are handled automatically using IRS income data and other federal sources. If everything still matches, you don’t have to do anything.
If AHCCCS can’t confirm eligibility automatically, you’ll get a renewal packet by mail or an email, depending on your communication preferences. You can renew through Health-e-Arizona Plus, by phone, by mail, or in person at a Department of Economic Security office. Miss the deadline and coverage ends, forcing you to reapply.
If Your Application Is Denied
Any denial or termination notice must explain the reason and your appeal rights.10Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. 1701 Eligibility Appeals You have 35 calendar days from the notice date to request a hearing. You can also request one if AHCCCS never issued a decision at all within the required timeframe.
Standard appeals can take up to 90 days. If a delay that long would seriously risk your child’s health, ask for an expedited appeal, which must be resolved within seven working days. An expedited request needs a statement from a medical provider confirming that treatment is scheduled or needed and that a 90-day delay would jeopardize the child’s health.10Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. 1701 Eligibility Appeals You have the right to an interpreter and to reasonable accommodations.
When Your Child Turns 19
KidsCare ends at 19, with no automatic extension. Start planning before the birthday to avoid a coverage gap.
Federal rules require states to check whether a child aging out of CHIP might qualify for Medicaid before ending enrollment.11Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Streamlining the Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Basic Health Program Application, Eligibility Determination, Enrollment, and Renewal Processes Final Rule Fact Sheet A low-income 19-year-old may move straight into adult AHCCCS Medicaid without a break.
If Medicaid isn’t an option, losing KidsCare opens a special enrollment period for marketplace coverage. For people losing CHIP, that window runs 90 days from the end of coverage, longer than the standard 60-day window for other life events.12Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Understanding Special Enrollment Periods Visit HealthCare.gov inside that window to see what subsidized plans are available.