Medicaid in Arkansas: what you may be able to apply for

🔎 Will this affect your green card?

Regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test — receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application. See details →

What it is

Public health insurance for low-income people, jointly funded by the federal and state governments. It covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, pregnancy, and children's care. States run it under federal rules, and each state has its own name and details (California calls it Medi-Cal).

Arkansas Medicaid (Arkansas's Medicaid program; the expansion population is covered through ARHOME — formerly the Private Option / Arkansas Works — using premium assistance to buy private marketplace plans; operated by the Division of Medical Services within the Arkansas Department of Human Services/DHS; children are covered under ARKids First; apply at Access Arkansas)

Who may qualify

Income limit

Low-income adults 19-64 (ACA expansion · ARHOME private option)≤ 138% FPL🌟 Because Arkansas expanded Medicaid in 2014, low-income adults aged 19-64 can qualify on income alone, with a household income limit of 138% FPL (the MAGI figure includes a 5% income disregard); the expansion population is covered through ARHOME using Medicaid funds to buy private plans. MAGI categories generally have no asset test. Meeting the income line is not automatic eligibility — DHS still determines it; rely on access.arkansas.gov for the current dollar amounts.
Source:healthinsurance.org · checked 2026-07-23
Official excerpt
“Arkansas expanded Medicaid under the ACA starting January 1, 2014 using a privatized approach (Private Option → Arkansas Works → ARHOME); Non-elderly adults with incomes up to 138% FPL; administered by the Arkansas Division of Medical Services within DHS; apply at Access Arkansas or 1-800-482-8988 (healthinsurance.org, Arkansas)”
Medicaid eligibility and enrollment in Arkansas — Arkansas expanded Medicaid January 1, 2014 via the Private Option / Arkansas Works / now ARHOME (premium assistance buying private marketplace plans); non-elderly adults up to 138% FPL; pregnant women up to 214% FPL (mother's coverage 60 days postpartum); children up to 216% FPL for CHIP; administered by the Arkansas Division of Medical Services within DHS; apply at Access Arkansas or 1-800-482-8988
View the official document →
Pregnant women (about 214% FPL; immigrant pregnant women covered for prenatal via the unborn-child option)≤ 214% FPLArkansas's regular pregnancy Medicaid covers up to about 214% FPL (a pregnant woman counts as a household of 2). 🔴 Regular postpartum coverage currently lasts 60 days after delivery (not extended to 12 months). 🌟🌟 Immigration point: Arkansas uses the CHIP 'unborn child' option to provide prenatal/delivery/pregnancy-related care to pregnant immigrant women (including undocumented), with an income line around 209% FPL (NASHP + ACHI). So an undocumented pregnant woman in Arkansas has a clear prenatal-coverage pathway, not just Emergency Medicaid. Meeting the income line is not automatic eligibility; verify with access.arkansas.gov / DHS.
Source:National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) / ACHI · checked 2026-07-23
Official excerpt
“Pregnant women with incomes up to 214% of FPL (coverage for the mother lasts 60 days after birth) (healthinsurance.org); NASHP: 'Arkansas provides coverage up to 209% FPL through the CHIP unborn child option'; ACHI: CHIP funds 'cover unborn children of pregnant immigrant women through the unborn child option'”
Arkansas CHIP Fact Sheet (NASHP) — ARKids First A (Medicaid) and B (separate CHIP, 143-211% FPL); 'Cover lawfully residing children without a five-year waiting period? Yes'; 'Arkansas provides coverage up to 209% FPL through the CHIP unborn child option' (used to cover unborn children of pregnant immigrant women regardless of the mother's immigration status, per ACHI Pregnancy Coverage in Arkansas)
View the official document →
Children (ARKids First A=Medicaid / B=CHIP — see the ARKids row)≤ 216% FPLArkansas children under 19 are covered through ARKids First: ARKids A (children's Medicaid, lower income) and ARKids B (CHIP, higher income) reach about 211-216% FPL combined (NASHP separate CHIP 143-211% FPL; healthinsurance.org up to 216% FPL). 🌟 Immigration: §214 'lawfully residing children' confirmed applicable by NASHP (no five-year wait). See the ARKids row for the full tiers and the immigration points.
Source:National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) / ACHI · checked 2026-07-23
Official excerpt
“NASHP Arkansas CHIP fact sheet: separate CHIP (ARKids-B) 143-211% FPL; Medicaid-expansion children 6-18 up to 142% FPL; 'Cover lawfully residing children without a five-year waiting period? Yes'; healthinsurance.org: children up to 216% FPL for CHIP”
Arkansas CHIP Fact Sheet (NASHP) — ARKids First A (Medicaid) and B (separate CHIP, 143-211% FPL); 'Cover lawfully residing children without a five-year waiting period? Yes'; 'Arkansas provides coverage up to 209% FPL through the CHIP unborn child option' (used to cover unborn children of pregnant immigrant women regardless of the mother's immigration status, per ACHI Pregnancy Coverage in Arkansas)
View the official document →

Immigration-status rules in this state

🌟 Arkansas HAS adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion — effective January 1, 2014 — using a distinctive 'private option' model: the expansion population (ages 19-64, income ≤138% FPL) is covered by the state using Medicaid funds to buy private marketplace health plans, a model that went Private Option → Arkansas Works → now ARHOME (since 2022). It is operated by the Division of Medical Services within the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) (eligibility handled by the Division of County Operations); apply at Access Arkansas (access.arkansas.gov), a local DHS county office, or by phone at 1-800-482-8988. On immigration status, Arkansas follows the federal Medicaid rules — a qualified immigrant must generally still meet the five-year bar and its exceptions; the federal status rules and their 2025 OBBBA changes are in the federal Medicaid program details, which this row does not repeat. 🌟 On the immigrant-friendly side, Arkansas adopted the federal 'lawfully residing children' option (CHIPRA §214 / ICHIA) — lawfully residing immigrant children under 19 can enroll in Medicaid/ARKids without the five-year wait (NASHP Arkansas CHIP fact sheet confirms verbatim 'Cover lawfully residing children without a five-year waiting period? Yes'). 🌟🌟 A more important point, and one especially critical for undocumented families: Arkansas uses the CHIP 'unborn child' option — it provides prenatal, delivery, and pregnancy-related care to pregnant immigrant women, including those who do not meet citizenship/immigration requirements (i.e., undocumented pregnant women), with an income line around 209% FPL (NASHP: 'Arkansas provides coverage up to 209% FPL through the CHIP unborn child option'; ACHI: CHIP funds 'cover unborn children of pregnant immigrant women through the 'unborn child' option'). This means that in Arkansas an undocumented pregnant woman's prenatal coverage is not limited to Emergency Medicaid — there is a clear prenatal-coverage pathway — a substantive difference from states like Utah/Iowa/Kentucky that do NOT run this option; do not carry over their 'undocumented pregnant women only have Emergency Medicaid' narrative. Verify your specific situation and the current income line with DHS. 🔴 An honest boundary: pregnant women who meet citizenship/immigration requirements are covered under regular Medicaid up to about 214% FPL, but Arkansas's regular postpartum coverage currently still lasts 60 days after delivery (not extended to 12 months) — unlike Nevada/Iowa; reported honestly. 🔴 State-funded full Medicaid for undocumented NON-pregnant adults = we did not find one (reported honestly). 🔴 Public charge: under the current (2022) federal rule, regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test — receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application; the only exception is Medicaid that pays for long-term institutional care. Because your situation is individual, do not decide this yourself; see the federal public-charge guidance and consult USCIS or an immigration attorney. This is a changing area — verify with DHS.

How to apply

What you'll need

Proof of identity, income, Arkansas residency, household size, and Social Security numbers of household members; immigration/lawful-presence documents for the applicant as needed (qualified immigrants and the adopted 'lawfully residing children' category provide the corresponding documents; the unborn-child option covers prenatal care for pregnant women who do not meet status requirements; Emergency Medicaid has broader status rules). Aged/blind/disabled categories also have asset documentation. See the official access.arkansas.gov application for the exact list.

Timeline

DHS generally makes eligibility decisions within a few weeks (disability-based cases usually longer). Meeting the income line is not automatic eligibility — it is still determined; verify timing details with DHS. You can apply year-round.

Go to the official application →

Access Arkansas (access.arkansas.gov, Arkansas's official benefits application) · customer service 1-800-482-8988 · also via HealthCare.gov · run by the Arkansas DHS Division of Medical Services; eligibility handled by the Division of County Operations

Will it affect your green card? (Public charge)

✅ Regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test — receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application.

⚠️ The one exception: Medicaid that pays for long-term institutional care (a long-term stay in a nursing facility or mental-health institution at government expense) DOES count. Everyday doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, and home- and community-based care are not this exception.

➕ Because the current rule excludes all non-institutional Medicaid, Medicaid for children, pregnancy, and emergencies also does not count. In mixed-status families, eligible citizen or qualified children can safely get the care they qualify for.

Public charge is assessed only for people applying for an immigrant visa abroad, or applying for adjustment of status (a green card) inside the United States.

Many categories are exempt by law: refugees, asylees, VAWA self-petitioners, T and U visa applicants, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ), Cuban/Haitian entrants, and others.

Public charge is generally not assessed when a green-card holder renews their card or naturalizes; a returning green-card holder is assessed only in limited cases (for example, an absence of more than 180 days).

This is information only, not immigration, legal, or tax advice. Public charge and your personal status are complex — consult a licensed immigration attorney. We never tell you whether you "will" or "won't" be affected.

USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part G, Chapter 7 (benefits considered) and Chapter 3 (who it applies to) — 8 USCIS-PM G.7 / G.3; regulation 8 CFR 212.21–212.23; 2022 final rule 87 FR 55472. · 2022-12-23

Official sources

Medicaid eligibility and enrollment in Arkansas — Arkansas expanded Medicaid January 1, 2014 via the Private Option / Arkansas Works / now ARHOME (premium assistance buying private marketplace plans); non-elderly adults up to 138% FPL; pregnant women up to 214% FPL (mother's coverage 60 days postpartum); children up to 216% FPL for CHIP; administered by the Arkansas Division of Medical Services within DHS; apply at Access Arkansas or 1-800-482-8988
healthinsurance.org · checked 2026-07-23 · This document states no effective date
Arkansas CHIP Fact Sheet (NASHP) — ARKids First A (Medicaid) and B (separate CHIP, 143-211% FPL); 'Cover lawfully residing children without a five-year waiting period? Yes'; 'Arkansas provides coverage up to 209% FPL through the CHIP unborn child option' (used to cover unborn children of pregnant immigrant women regardless of the mother's immigration status, per ACHI Pregnancy Coverage in Arkansas)
National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) / ACHI · checked 2026-07-23 · This document states no effective date

Last checked: 2026-07-23

Policies can change — always check the latest official information.

This site is informational only and is not immigration, legal, or tax advice. For public charge and your personal status questions, consult a licensed immigration attorney.

Other benefits in Arkansas

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps")

See what your household may be able to apply for (Arkansas pre-filled · about 1 minute · runs locally, nothing uploaded)

Household Benefit Matcher

Answer a few questions about your household to see which benefits you may be able to apply for.

Runs entirely in your browser
Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored
No account, no sign-in

Immigration status is optional — you can skip it, and it never leaves your device

Results are for guidance only — not an official determination or legal advice.