ARKids in Arkansas: Eligibility, Costs, and How to Apply

ARKids First is Arkansas’s health insurance program for children under 19, offering free or low-cost coverage through two tiers administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS). Families can apply any time of year, income limits reach up to 211 percent of the federal poverty level, and children who enroll get a full 12 months of coverage even if the household’s finances change during that year.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First

The Two Tiers: ARKids A and ARKids B

ARKids First splits into two programs. Which one a child qualifies for depends on family income.

ARKids First-A is the state’s Medicaid program for children. It serves families with the lowest incomes and charges nothing: no premiums, no co-payments, no deductibles.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First

ARKids First-B is the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It picks up families who earn too much for ARKids A but still can’t reasonably afford private insurance. There’s no monthly premium, but small co-payments apply for many services.

Both tiers cover children from birth through age 18, and a single application evaluates each child for both. Parents and other adult caregivers are not eligible for ARKids themselves, though they count toward household size when DHS calculates income.

Income Limits

DHS uses modified adjusted gross income compared against the federal poverty level (FPL).2Medicaid.gov. Arkansas State Profile ARKids A covers children in households at or below 142 percent of the FPL. ARKids B covers children between 142 and 211 percent.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First

The monthly income cutoffs effective April 2025 look like this:

  • Family of 2: ARKids A up to $2,503; ARKids B up to $3,719
  • Family of 3: ARKids A up to $3,154; ARKids B up to $4,686
  • Family of 4: ARKids A up to $3,804; ARKids B up to $5,653
  • Family of 5: ARKids A up to $4,455; ARKids B up to $6,620
  • Family of 6: ARKids A up to $5,106; ARKids B up to $7,587

For each additional household member beyond six, add roughly $651 per month for ARKids A and $967 for ARKids B.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First DHS updates the table each spring after new federal poverty guidelines come out; the 2026 guidelines put the poverty line at $33,000 for a family of four, which would push the ARKids B ceiling for that family to roughly $69,630 in annual income.3HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines

Other Eligibility Rules

A child must be under 19, live in Arkansas, and be a U.S. citizen or hold qualifying immigration status. DHS verifies citizenship, residency, and income electronically through federal databases in most cases, so you won’t always need to produce paper for every item.4Justia. Arkansas Administrative Code Rule 016.20.97-021 – ARKids First Waiver

The 90-Day Waiting Period for ARKids B

This one trips families up. A child who had health insurance (other than Medicaid) at any point during the 90 days before the application generally cannot enroll in ARKids B. The rule exists to keep families from dropping private coverage to move onto CHIP. Six exceptions get around it:

  • The family’s share of the premium was more than 5 percent of household income.
  • The employer stopped offering dependent coverage or dropped coverage entirely.
  • A job change caused the child to lose employer-sponsored insurance.
  • The child has a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition.
  • The child lost coverage because a parent died or the parents divorced.
  • Coverage is technically available through a noncustodial parent but the child can’t actually use it, for example because the plan’s network is out of state.

A parent who dropped private insurance voluntarily within those 90 days, for a reason not on this list, will find their child locked out of ARKids B until the waiting period runs.5Cornell Law Institute. Exceptions to the 90 Day Waiting Period for ARKids-B The waiting period does not apply to ARKids A.

What ARKids Covers

Both tiers cover well-child checkups, doctor and specialist visits, immunizations, dental exams and cleanings, vision exams, prescription drugs, hospital care, lab work, and X-rays.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First

ARKids A reaches further than ARKids B in a couple of places worth knowing about. ARKids A covers medically necessary orthodontic treatment (braces and retainers) with prior authorization for children under 21; ARKids B does not.6Insure Kids Now. Summary of Benefits Report for Arkansas Medicaid ARKids A also includes non-emergency rides to and from medical appointments through the state’s NET program; ARKids B doesn’t cover transportation.7Arkansas Department of Human Services. NET (Non-Emergency Transportation)

Both programs pay for visits with licensed mental health practitioners, generally with a doctor’s referral. ARKids A also covers school-based mental health services for children with a diagnosed condition and a treatment plan, plus inpatient psychiatric care for those under 21 with prior authorization. ARKids B covers inpatient psychiatric care but not school-based mental health.8Arkansas Department of Human Services. Covered Services

What It Costs

ARKids A is free. No premiums, no co-payments.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First

ARKids B has no monthly premium either. Most services carry a small co-payment: $10 per doctor visit and $5 per prescription, with generics required when available.9Arkansas Department of Human Services. What Does ARKids Pay? Several categories are exempt from any co-payment: immunizations, preventive screenings, family planning, prenatal care, eyeglasses, and medical supplies.10Code of Arkansas Rules. ARKids First-B – Section II Total out-of-pocket costs for an ARKids B family are capped at 5 percent of gross annual income. Once you hit that ceiling, no more co-payments for the rest of the year.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted year-round. Before you start, pull together:

  • Proof of income: recent pay stubs, W-2s, or a federal tax return.
  • A Social Security number for each child applying. Parents applying on a child’s behalf don’t need to provide their own.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First
  • Proof of age: a birth certificate for each child.
  • Proof of Arkansas residency: a utility bill, lease, or similar document.
  • Immigration documentation, only for children who aren’t U.S. citizens.

You can submit the application four ways:11Arkansas Department of Human Services. Apply for Services

  • Online at access.arkansas.gov (the fastest route).
  • By mail to the DHS Pine Bluff Scanning Center, P.O. Box 5670, Pine Bluff, AR 71611.
  • In person at any local DHS county office.
  • By phone through the Access Arkansas hotline at 1-855-372-1084.

One application covers every eligible child in the household, and DHS will consider each child for both tiers automatically. You’ll get a Notice of Action letter with the decision and, if approved, the tier of coverage.

Keeping Coverage: The 12-Month Rule

Once a child is enrolled, coverage runs for a full 12 months regardless of income changes during that period. A raise, a new household member, a shift in work hours: none of it interrupts the child’s coverage mid-year. The only events that end coverage early are the child’s death, the child moving out of Arkansas, or an ARKids B enrollee turning 19.12Arkansas Department of Human Services. Twelve Months Continuous Coverage of Children Under Age Nineteen

At the end of each 12 months, DHS runs a redetermination. Sometimes it can be completed automatically using federal tax data. When it can’t, you’ll receive a renewal notice asking for updated income and household information. Responding to that notice on time is the single most common thing families miss, and missing it is the most common reason children lose coverage they still qualify for.

If DHS Denies or Cuts Coverage

The Notice of Action letter will state the reason for any denial or reduction. You have 30 calendar days from the date on that letter to request a fair hearing. Miss that window and DHS will deny the appeal automatically.13Arkansas Department of Human Services. File an Appeal

You can file by returning the completed back side of the Notice of Action, by mailing a written request to the DHS Office of Appeals and Hearings (P.O. Box 1437, Slot S101, Little Rock, AR 72203-1437), by emailing DHS.Appeals@dhs.arkansas.gov, or by submitting the DHS-1200 appeal form. At the hearing, you can bring documents and explain why the decision was wrong. If your child was already enrolled and you file within the 30 days, coverage may continue while the appeal is pending.

When Your Child Turns 19

ARKids coverage ends on a child’s 19th birthday, with no grace period. For young adults who still need affordable coverage, Arkansas runs ARHOME for residents ages 19 through 64 who meet income and other requirements; it provides coverage through either a qualified health plan or traditional Medicaid.14Arkansas Department of Human Services. Health Care Programs If your child is approaching 19, apply for ARHOME or look at Marketplace coverage before the birthday. Retroactive enrollment isn’t always available, and a gap can mean unexpected bills for care received in between.