ARKids insurance is Arkansas’s health coverage program for children from birth through age 18, run by the Department of Human Services. It has two tiers under one application: ARKids A, the Medicaid side for lower-income families, and ARKids B, the Children’s Health Insurance Program side for families who earn too much for Medicaid but still need help affording coverage. A single application to DHS covers both, and the agency decides which tier fits your household.
ARKids A vs. ARKids B
ARKids A is traditional Medicaid for children. There are no copayments, no premiums, and no out-of-pocket bills for covered services.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First
ARKids B is the CHIP tier. Benefits look similar to ARKids A, but families pay small, flat copayments for most services. It is designed for the gap between Medicaid eligibility and affordable private insurance.
Who Qualifies
Every child must be under age 19, live in Arkansas, and be a U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant. Coverage ends on the child’s 19th birthday.2Justia. Arkansas Administrative Code 016.20.97-021 – ARKids First Waiver
Beyond that, eligibility turns on household income, measured as Modified Adjusted Gross Income.3Legal Information Institute. Arkansas Code R. 016.28.20-002 – Medical Services Policy Manual Section E-200 ARKids A reaches roughly 142 percent of the federal poverty level; ARKids B reaches roughly 211 percent. The monthly limits effective April 1, 2025 are:
- 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 $651 to the ARKids A limit or $967 to the ARKids B limit.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First
The 90-Day Rule for ARKids B
ARKids B has an extra condition: a child generally cannot have been covered by employer-sponsored or group health insurance during the 90 days before you apply. The point is to keep families from dropping affordable job-based coverage to shift onto the state program. Several exceptions let your child qualify right away:
- The family’s share of the premium exceeded 5 percent of household income, or family coverage cost more than 9.5 percent of household income.
- The employer stopped offering dependent coverage or any coverage.
- A job change or job loss ended the coverage, and the parent isn’t paying full COBRA to continue it.
- A parent’s death or a divorce ended the coverage.
- The child has a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition.
- Coverage technically exists through a noncustodial parent but isn’t usable, such as an out-of-state HMO with no local providers.
How to Apply
The fastest route is the Access Arkansas portal at access.arkansas.gov.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First You can also mail a paper application or go to a local DHS county office in person. One application is screened for both ARKids A and ARKids B, so you don’t need to pick a tier yourself.
Gather these before you start:
- Proof of income: recent paycheck stubs, W-2 forms, or tax returns
- Social Security numbers for everyone on the application
- Proof of the children’s identity and age, such as birth certificates
- Proof of citizenship or qualified immigration status
DHS mails a written notice with the decision. If your child is approved, Arkansas Medicaid may pay for covered medical expenses from the three full months before the month you applied, as long as the child was eligible then.5Arkansas Department of Human Services. Medical Services Policy Manual, Section A
What’s Covered
Both tiers cover a broad set of services, with the core benefits overlapping heavily. Well-child visits, immunizations, developmental screenings, hearing and vision checks, and lab work are all included, with no copayment on preventive visits in either tier.6Arkansas Department of Human Services. Covered Services
Dental care is covered, including braces when medically necessary and pre-approved by Medicaid. Vision benefits include eye exams and medically necessary eyeglasses. Hearing services include testing and hearing aids for children under 21.
Mental and behavioral health services are covered on both sides, including outpatient treatment and substance abuse care. Children on ARKids A can also access a school-based mental health program with a doctor’s referral and documented need.
Inpatient and outpatient hospital care, prescriptions, lab work and X-rays, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and emergency room visits are covered under both tiers. ARKids A additionally covers home health services and chiropractic care.7Arkansas Department of Human Services. What Does ARKids Pay
One important gap for ARKids B families: non-emergency medical transportation to appointments is available only to children on ARKids A. ARKids B does not include it.8Medicaid.gov. Assurance of Transportation
What You’ll Pay
ARKids A charges nothing. No copays, no coinsurance, no bills for covered care.
ARKids B copayments are flat:
- Doctor, specialist, and most outpatient visits: $10
- Emergency room: $10
- Dental, including orthodontia: $10 per visit
- Vision exams: $10 (eyeglasses no copay)
- Prescriptions: $5, generic required when available
- Inpatient hospital stay: 10 percent of the first day’s cost
- Preventive screenings and immunizations: no copay
Total ARKids B out-of-pocket costs for all your enrolled children in a year cannot exceed 5 percent of your family’s gross annual income. For a family of four earning $40,000, that ceiling is $2,000. Once you hit it, the program covers the rest of the year.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1397cc – Coverage Requirements for Children’s Health Insurance
Renewing Each Year
ARKids coverage has to be renewed annually. DHS mails a renewal notice one to two months before your renewal date. If the agency already has what it needs, renewal may be automatic and you’ll get a confirmation letter. If income, household size, or other details need updating, you have to respond by the deadline on the notice.
You can renew online through Access Arkansas, by phone at 1-855-372-1084, by mail, or in person at a DHS office. Missing the deadline is the most common reason children lose coverage, and if coverage lapses you’ll have to start a new application from scratch. Keep your mailing address current with DHS so renewal notices actually reach you.
When Your Child Turns 19
Eligibility ends on the 19th birthday. A few paths may replace it. Young adults ages 19 through 64 with household income at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level may qualify for ARHOME, Arkansas’s Medicaid expansion program for adults.10Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARHOME Waiver Public Notice Former foster youth can keep Medicaid until age 26 regardless of income. Above the ARHOME income limit, subsidized plans on Healthcare.gov may be affordable depending on earnings.