Arkansas Medicaid eligibility turns on four things: where you live, your citizenship or immigration status, which category you fall into, and your income (plus, for some groups, your assets). Adults between 19 and 64 generally qualify if household income is at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level — about $22,025 a year for a single person in 2026. Children, pregnant women, and older or disabled residents each have their own rules, and the category you fall into matters as much as the dollar figure on your pay stub.
Residency and Citizenship
You have to live in Arkansas when you apply. There is no minimum length of time you must have lived in the state first.1eCFR. 42 CFR 435.403 – State Residence
You also need to be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national, or a qualified noncitizen such as a lawful permanent resident.2eCFR. 42 CFR 435.406 – Citizenship and Noncitizen Eligibility Noncitizen applicants submit documentation of status, typically a permanent resident card.
Most lawful permanent residents who entered the United States on or after August 22, 1996 cannot receive federally funded Medicaid for five years after obtaining qualified status.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 U.S. Code 1613 – Five-Year Limited Eligibility of Qualified Aliens for Federal Means-Tested Public Benefit The five-year clock starts the day you received that qualifying status, not the day you apply. Refugees, asylees, veterans, and active-duty military members and their families are exempt from the waiting period.
Which Category You Fall Into
Arkansas does not run a single Medicaid program. Coverage is organized into categories built around age, family status, and health needs, under Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 77.4Justia. Arkansas Code Title 20, Subtitle 5, Chapter 77 – Medical Assistance Finding your category is the first step, because each one has its own income limit.
Adults 19 to 64: ARHOME
The Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me program (ARHOME) covers adults 19 to 64 who are not on Medicare and whose household income is at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level.5Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARHOME – A Proposed Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration Project Summary ARHOME replaced the earlier Arkansas Works program and typically delivers coverage through private insurance carriers rather than traditional fee-for-service Medicaid.
Children Under 19: ARKids First
Children under 19 are covered through ARKids First, which has two tiers. ARKids A provides full Medicaid coverage at no cost to the family for children in lower-income households. ARKids B covers children in families with somewhat higher incomes and requires co-payments for some services.6Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First Both tiers use income limits above the adult ARHOME cutoff, so many families whose parents don’t qualify can still cover their kids.
Pregnant Women
Pregnant women qualify at income levels well above the standard adult threshold — roughly 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Coverage pays for prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. Arkansas currently limits postpartum coverage to 60 days after delivery.
Aged, Blind, and Disabled
Residents who are 65 or older, legally blind, or have a qualifying disability fall into a separate set of categories. Many automatically receive Medicaid if they qualify for Supplemental Security Income through the Social Security Administration. Others qualify through specialized programs, including long-term care waivers, Medicare Savings Programs, and the TEFRA program for children with disabilities.7Arkansas Department of Human Services. Quick Reference Medicaid Chart
Income Limits
Income is measured against the federal poverty level, which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updates each year. The 2026 guidelines set the baseline at $15,960 for a single person, $21,640 for a household of two, $27,320 for three, and $33,000 for four. Each additional person adds $5,680.8ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States
ARHOME: 138 Percent of FPL
Applied to 2026 figures, the ARHOME annual income cap works out to:8ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States
- 1 person: $22,025 a year (about $1,835 a month)
- 2 people: $29,863 a year (about $2,489 a month)
- 3 people: $37,702 a year (about $3,142 a month)
- 4 people: $45,540 a year (about $3,795 a month)
ARKids First
ARKids uses higher thresholds. The most recent monthly limits posted by the Arkansas Department of Human Services for a family of three are roughly $3,154 for ARKids A and $4,686 for ARKids B.6Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARKids First These adjust each time the federal poverty guidelines update, so check the DHS site for current numbers if you’re applying later in the year.
Aged, Blind, and Disabled
Income limits for older and disabled applicants vary by program. Many categories tie their limits to the federal SSI benefit rate, which adjusts annually. Long-term care programs allow higher income — up to roughly $2,829 a month for an individual — because they only count the applicant’s own income, not a spouse’s or children’s earnings.7Arkansas Department of Human Services. Quick Reference Medicaid Chart Medicare Savings Programs, which help pay Medicare premiums and cost-sharing, have their own tiered income limits that reach higher still.
Asset Limits
Adults applying through ARHOME and children applying through ARKids face no asset test. Those applications are evaluated on income alone, using Modified Adjusted Gross Income rules.
If you’re applying under an aged, blind, or disabled category, the state does count your countable assets alongside your income. Countable assets include cash, bank accounts, stocks, and similar holdings. For most of these programs, the resource limit is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.7Arkansas Department of Human Services. Quick Reference Medicaid Chart
Several things don’t count. Your primary home, one vehicle, personal belongings, and household furnishings are generally excluded. Burial funds up to a set amount and low-face-value life insurance policies are typically exempt too. For TEFRA and autism-related coverage for children, only the child’s own resources are counted, not the parents’ assets.7Arkansas Department of Human Services. Quick Reference Medicaid Chart
How Household Size Is Counted
For MAGI-based categories (ARHOME and ARKids), the state builds your household using federal tax filing rules rather than counting everyone under your roof. If you file a tax return, your household includes you, your spouse if filing jointly, and anyone you claim as a dependent. If someone else claims you as a dependent, your household is the taxpayer, their spouse, and all of their dependents.9Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. MAGI-Based Household Income Eligibility Training Manual
Different rules apply when a child is claimed as a dependent by someone other than a parent. If a grandparent claims a grandchild, the child’s household is built from relationships, not the tax return: the child, any parents in the home, and any siblings under 19 in the home. The grandparent isn’t counted in the child’s household even if everyone lives together.9Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. MAGI-Based Household Income Eligibility Training Manual Household size matters because a larger household means a higher income cutoff.
If You Need Long-Term Care: The Five-Year Look-Back
Applying for Medicaid to cover nursing home or other long-term care comes with an extra review. The state looks at any transfers of assets you made during the five years before your application. Federal law requires this review and imposes a penalty if you gave assets away or sold them for less than fair market value during that window.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1396p – Liens, Adjustments and Recoveries, and Transfers of Assets
The penalty is a period of ineligibility for long-term care benefits. DHS calculates it by dividing the total value of the transfers by the average monthly cost of nursing home care in Arkansas. Give $60,000 to a family member when the average monthly cost is $6,000, and you face 10 months during which Medicaid will not pay for long-term care.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1396p – Liens, Adjustments and Recoveries, and Transfers of Assets
Some transfers are exempt. You can transfer your home to a spouse, a child under 21, a blind or disabled child of any age, or a sibling who already has an equity interest in the home and has lived there for at least a year before you entered a facility. The state may also grant a hardship waiver if enforcing the penalty would seriously threaten your health or deprive you of basic necessities.
This look-back applies only to long-term care applications. Adults applying through ARHOME, children through ARKids, and pregnant women are not subject to it.
How to Apply
Once you’ve matched yourself to a category and run the income numbers, you can submit an application through any of these channels:11Arkansas Department of Human Services. Apply for Services
- Online through the Access Arkansas portal at Access.Arkansas.gov, where you can also upload documents, check status, and receive notices.
- By phone with a DHS representative.
- By mail to the DHS central processing center.
- In person at a local DHS county office.
One application covers your whole family, so you don’t file separate forms for each member. Have recent pay stubs, tax returns, and identification documents ready. You’ll be asked about household income, tax filing status, and the identity and citizenship status of everyone applying.