Arkansas Medicaid News: Renewal, Eligibility, and Appeals

To keep your Arkansas Medicaid coverage active, you need to complete the annual renewal that the Department of Human Services sends by mail, return it by the deadline printed on the packet, and make sure DHS has your current address so the packet actually reaches you. The Arkansas Medicaid renewal process restarted after the pandemic-era continuous coverage rule ended, and paperwork problems, not actual ineligibility, are what cause most people to lose benefits they still qualify for.

How Renewal Works

DHS reviews each case once a year. For some beneficiaries, the agency can confirm eligibility on its own using tax records and other data it already has. This is called an ex parte renewal, and if DHS can verify your information this way, you don’t have to do anything and your coverage continues.

Everyone else gets a renewal packet in the mail. The form asks you to confirm household size, income, and other details, and it has to be returned by the date on the notice. You can complete it three ways:

  • Online through the Access Arkansas portal at Access.Arkansas.gov
  • By mail, using the envelope included with your packet
  • In person at your local DHS county office

The scale of what happens when people miss the deadline is worth understanding. During the first phase of unwinding, Arkansas disenrolled roughly 77,000 beneficiaries in a single month, and a large share of those losses came from paperwork issues rather than actual ineligibility.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. Arkansas Department of Human Services Releases June Report on Medicaid Unwinding A missed form, a packet mailed to an old address, an income verification document left out: any of these can end coverage for someone who still qualifies.

Keep Your Contact Information Current

A renewal packet sent to an old address will never reach you, and DHS has no way to know the mail didn’t arrive. Updating your address, phone number, and email with DHS is the single most important thing you can do between renewals.

Two ways to update:

If you’ve moved, changed jobs, had a change in household size, or had any change in income since your last renewal, report it now rather than waiting for the packet. Creating an Access Arkansas account before your next renewal date also saves time when the paperwork arrives, because you can submit everything through the portal instead of mailing it back.

Appealing a Denial or Termination

If DHS denies your application or ends your coverage and you believe the decision is wrong, you have the right to a fair hearing. Timing is strict.

You have 35 calendar days from the date on the denial letter to request a hearing. The request has to be in writing and should include a copy of the denial letter. You can submit it four ways:

  • Mail: DHS Office of Appeals and Hearings, P.O. Box 1437, Slot N401, Little Rock, AR 72203-1437
  • Phone: 501-682-8622
  • Fax: 501-404-4628
  • Email: DHS.appeals@dhs.arkansas.gov

If you were already receiving services that DHS is now cutting, you can ask that those services continue at the same level while the appeal is pending. That request has to be made within 10 calendar days of the denial letter date. If you win, services continue without interruption. If you lose, you may have to pay for the services you received during the appeal period.3Arkansas Department of Human Services. DMS Request for Appeal

Filing the appeal doesn’t prevent you from exploring other coverage in the meantime, and in many cases you should do both.

If You Lose Coverage

Losing Medicaid opens a Special Enrollment Period on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov. You can enroll if you lost Medicaid within the past 90 days or expect to lose it within the next 60 days.4HealthCare.gov. Apply for Marketplace Coverage if You Lost or Were Denied Medicaid or CHIP Depending on your income, you may qualify for premium tax credits that lower the cost of a Marketplace plan significantly. This option is available year-round when you lose Medicaid, so you don’t have to wait for open enrollment.

If you think the termination was a mistake, file the appeal within the 35-day window first, and treat Marketplace coverage as a backup in case the appeal takes time to resolve.

Renewals for Children on ARKids First

Children under 19 enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP are now covered for a full 12 months at a time, regardless of income changes during that period. A federal change under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 made this continuous eligibility requirement mandatory nationwide starting in 2024.5Medicaid.gov. Continuous Eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP Coverage

In practice, a child enrolled in ARKids A stays covered for 12 months from the date of application or renewal, even if the family’s income fluctuates in between.6Arkansas Department of Human Services. Twelve Months Continuous Coverage of Children Under Age Nineteen A seasonal income bump no longer triggers a mid-year termination. The annual renewal still has to be completed at the 12-month mark, though, so the same packet-and-deadline rules apply.

Check Whether You Still Qualify Before You Renew

If your income has gone up since you first enrolled, it’s worth running the numbers before your renewal date so you aren’t surprised. The thresholds depend on which program you’re on.

AR HOME (Adults 19 to 64)

AR HOME covers adults with household income at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, and uses Medicaid funds to buy private coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield or Ambetter.7Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARHOME For 2026, the 138% FPL threshold for a single person is about $1,835 per month, or roughly $22,025 per year, and it rises with household size.8HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States Income is calculated using Modified Adjusted Gross Income, which generally matches your tax return.

If your income has crept just over the limit, apply anyway. Fluctuations from year to year can change the result, and the calculation uses specific MAGI rules rather than gross pay.

Aged, Blind, or Disabled Medicaid

ABD Medicaid follows SSI-based income rules. For 2026, a single applicant generally needs income at or below $994 per month to qualify, and resource limits apply as well.9Social Security Administration. SSI Federal Payment Amounts

ARChoices and Long-Term Care

ARChoices provides home and community-based services as an alternative to nursing home placement, covering adults 21 through 64 with physical disabilities and seniors who need help with daily activities. The income limit for ARChoices and other institutional-level care programs is 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate, which comes to $2,982 per month for 2026.10Arkansas Department of Human Services. Health Care Eligibility – Quick Reference

Arkansas does not offer a medically needy spend-down pathway, so applicants whose income exceeds $2,982 per month typically use a Qualified Income Trust (also called a Miller Trust) to direct the excess into a trust that doesn’t count toward the limit. This is worth setting up well before you need the coverage.

Phone Numbers and Online Access

DHS runs several separate contact lines, and reaching the right one saves time:

  • General Medicaid Help Desk, 1-800-482-8988, for eligibility questions, lost cards, and general assistance, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.11Arkansas Department of Human Services. Contact DMS
  • Update Arkansas Hotline, 1-844-872-2660, specifically for updating your address and contact information
  • Access Arkansas Call Center, 1-855-372-1084, for help with your online account12Arkansas Department of Human Services. Hotlines
  • Office of Appeals and Hearings, 501-682-8622, for filing or tracking an appeal

The Access Arkansas portal at Access.Arkansas.gov is the fastest way to check coverage status, complete a renewal, report income changes, or update your address. Set up the account before your next renewal date so you aren’t scrambling when the packet arrives.