Arkansas Medicaid eligibility depends on which program fits your household. Adults ages 19 through 64 generally qualify for the Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me program (ARHOME) if household income is at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, which for 2026 is roughly $22,025 a year for a single person. Children, families, and people who are aged, blind, or disabled qualify through ConnectCare and ARKids First under separate income and resource rules.
Income Limits for ARHOME
ARHOME covers adults ages 19 through 64 who are not on Medicare. Your modified adjusted gross income must fall at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. For 2026, the approximate annual limits are:1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
- Single individual: about $22,025
- Household of 2: about $29,863
- Household of 3: about $37,702
- Household of 4: about $45,540
There is no monthly premium. Copayments apply to some services and are capped each quarter based on your income relative to the poverty line, from $0 at the lowest incomes up to $163 per quarter near the top of the eligibility range.2Arkansas Insurance Department. Plan Management Frequently Asked Questions – Calendar Year 2026 Pregnant women, enrollees ages 19 or 20, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and people in hospice owe no copayments regardless of income.
Income Limits for ARKids First
Children from birth through age 18 can qualify through ARKids First, which has two tiers. ARKids A is full Medicaid coverage for families up to about 138% of the poverty line. ARKids B extends coverage to families with somewhat higher income, up to roughly 206% FPL, with slightly different cost-sharing. Current monthly limits by family size:3Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First
- Family of 2: ARKids A up to $2,503/month; ARKids B up to $3,719/month
- Family of 3: ARKids A up to $3,154/month; ARKids B up to $4,686/month
- Family of 4: ARKids A up to $3,804/month; ARKids B up to $5,653/month
Resource Limits for Aged, Blind, or Disabled Applicants
ARHOME and ARKids look only at income. If you are applying under the aged, blind, or disabled category, Arkansas also counts your resources. For 2026, the countable resource limits are $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.4Arkansas Department of Human Services. Health Care Eligibility – Quick Reference 2026 Countable resources generally include bank accounts, investments, and property other than your primary home. Your home, one vehicle, and personal belongings typically do not count.
When one spouse enters a nursing home and the other stays in the community, the at-home spouse may keep a share of the couple’s resources up to $162,660, under a formula intended to prevent impoverishment of the community spouse.4Arkansas Department of Human Services. Health Care Eligibility – Quick Reference 2026
How Coverage Is Delivered
The program you qualify for determines how you get care. ARHOME uses Medicaid dollars to buy you private insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield or Ambetter, so you access the same commercial provider networks as employer-insured patients.5Arkansas Department of Human Services. Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me (ARHOME) Enrollees with serious mental illness or substance use disorders are placed in a Provider-led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity (PASSE) instead, which coordinates behavioral health and long-term supports.6Arkansas Department of Human Services. Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me (ARHOME) Summary
ConnectCare handles traditional Medicaid populations, including children on ARKids and people who are aged, blind, or disabled. You choose a primary care provider who coordinates your care and issues referrals for specialists. A few groups do not have to pick a PCP: people who also have Medicare, nursing home residents, people with retroactive-only coverage, and those on Medicaid spend-down.7Arkansas Department of Human Services. Arkansas Medicaid, ARKids First Beneficiary Handbook
New Work Requirement Starting July 2026
Beginning July 1, 2026, ARHOME enrollees must work, volunteer, or attend school for at least 20 hours a week (80 hours a month). The Department of Human Services will start running automated checks that month to determine whether you are exempt, meeting the requirement, or not meeting it, and will mail you a notice of your status.8Arkansas Department of Human Services. DHS to Launch Soft Implementation of Work and Community Engagement Requirement Starting July 1
No penalties apply during 2026. Enforcement begins January 1, 2027. If you receive a notice saying you are not meeting the requirement and you believe you should be exempt, resolve it during the grace period rather than waiting until penalties start.
How to Apply
All Arkansas health coverage programs use the same form: the DCO-152 Household Health Coverage Application. You will need your Social Security number if you are seeking coverage, plus recent pay stubs, W-2s, or other employer and income records. Household members who are not applying do not need to provide their Social Security numbers.9Arkansas Department of Human Services. Household Health Coverage Application (DCO-152)
The form also asks about current insurance, tax filing status, pregnancy, disability, and unpaid medical bills from the current month or the prior three months. That last question can trigger retroactive coverage for bills you already owe. If you are applying for ConnectCare, have your preferred primary care provider’s name ready.
You can submit the application three ways:
- Online through the Access Arkansas portal at access.arkansas.gov, which lets you save and return to your application.10Access Arkansas. Access Arkansas
- By mail to the Department of Human Services.
- In person at a local DHS county office.
Report household size accurately, because it directly controls which income limit applies. DHS verifies your answers against IRS, Social Security, and Department of Homeland Security records, and will request documents if anything doesn’t match.9Arkansas Department of Human Services. Household Health Coverage Application (DCO-152)
Processing Times, Notices, and Appeals
Federal rules give DHS 45 days to process most Medicaid applications, and up to 90 days for applications based on disability because of the additional medical review.11eCFR. 42 CFR 435.912 – Timely Determination and Redetermination of Eligibility Watch your mail during this window and respond to any document requests quickly.
When the review finishes, DHS mails you a Notice of Action stating whether you were approved or denied, the specific reason, and your right to a hearing.12Arkansas Department of Human Services. Medicaid Administrative Reconsiderations and Appeals – Section: J-100 Notice of Action Requirements You have 30 days from the postmark date to appeal to the Appeals and Hearings Section.13Legal Information Institute. Arkansas Code of Regulations 016.06.05-093 Miss that deadline and your only option is a new application.
Retroactive Coverage
Federal Medicaid law generally allows coverage for medical bills incurred up to three months before you applied, if you were eligible during those months. Arkansas has received federal approval to waive retroactive eligibility for the ARHOME expansion population, so this protection does not apply to ARHOME applicants.14Medicaid.gov. Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me (ARHOME) Traditional Medicaid and ARKids applicants may still qualify for retroactive coverage, which is why the DCO-152 asks about prior unpaid bills.
Keeping Your Coverage: Annual Renewal
Arkansas Medicaid renews every year. One to two months before your renewal date, DHS mails you a notice. When possible, the state confirms your continued eligibility automatically using wage records and tax data. This “ex parte” renewal requires nothing from you.15Arkansas Department of Human Services. Arkansas Comprehensive Unwinding Plan
If automatic verification falls short, DHS sends a pre-filled renewal form that you must complete and return by the deadline. Missing it can cause a coverage gap, and sometimes forces a fresh application. The most common reason people lose Medicaid they still qualify for is failing to return renewal paperwork on time. Keep your address current with DHS through Access Arkansas or your county office whenever you move.
Estate Recovery for Older Enrollees
Arkansas can file a claim against the estate of a deceased Medicaid recipient to recover the benefits the state paid. No lien is placed on your home while you are alive, and the claim only becomes a debt of your estate after death.16Justia Law. Arkansas Code Title 20-76-436 – Recovery of Benefits from Recipients Estates
The state will not pursue a claim if any of the following survive you:17Arkansas Department of Human Services. Your Guide to Medicaid Estate Recovery in Arkansas
- A surviving spouse
- A child under 21
- A child of any age who is blind or disabled
Additional protections cover the family home when an adult child lived there and provided care for at least two years before the recipient entered a nursing facility, or when a sibling lived in the home for at least one year before the nursing home admission. The DHS Hardship Waiver Committee can also waive a claim when recovery would cause undue hardship, considering factors such as whether the asset is an heir’s sole income source and whether the home’s value is at or below 50% of the county’s average home price.16Justia Law. Arkansas Code Title 20-76-436 – Recovery of Benefits from Recipients Estates For applicants with property, this is worth understanding before you enroll.