Medicaid Office

Arkansas Medicaid Income Limits

Updated August 2026

ARHOME uses MAGI income rules. There is no asset test. If you earn at or below 138% FPL, you qualify financially for ARHOME. Per DHS, eligibility also requires Arkansas residency, U.S. citizenship or qualifying immigration status, and not being entitled to or enrolled in Medicare.

Arkansas uses two income tracks: ARHOME (premium assistance) for most expansion adults, traditional Medicaid for other groups

Arkansas expanded Medicaid in 2014. Adults ages 19–64 at or below 138% FPL enroll in ARHOME — a premium assistance model where Medicaid pays for private insurance. Traditional Medicaid covers pregnant women, children (ARKids First), seniors, and people with disabilities. Income limits below use 2026 HHS poverty guidelines. Verify current figures with the Arkansas Division of Medical Services at humanservices.arkansas.gov.

ARHOME income limits (adults 19–64)

If you earn above 138% FPL, you do not qualify for ARHOME. However, you may qualify for subsidized coverage through the federal marketplace (healthcare.gov). Between 100% and 400% FPL, premium tax credits are available to help cover monthly premiums. People earning above 138% FPL in Arkansas do not have a Medicaid gap — they can access marketplace coverage instead.

1

138% FPL monthly limit
$1,835/mo
Annual equivalent
$22,025/yr

2

138% FPL monthly limit
$2,489/mo
Annual equivalent
$29,863/yr

3

138% FPL monthly limit
$3,142/mo
Annual equivalent
$37,702/yr

4

138% FPL monthly limit
$3,795/mo
Annual equivalent
$45,540/yr

5

138% FPL monthly limit
$4,448/mo
Annual equivalent
$53,378/yr

6

138% FPL monthly limit
$5,101/mo
Annual equivalent
$61,217/yr

ARKids First income limits (children under 19)

ARKids First is Arkansas's combined Medicaid and CHIP program for children under 19. There are two tiers with different income limits. ARKids First-A is traditional Medicaid; ARKids First-B is the CHIP tier at a higher income level.

1

ARKids First-A (Medicaid, 147% FPL)
$1,955/mo
ARKids First-B (CHIP, 216% FPL)
$2,873/mo

2

ARKids First-A (Medicaid, 147% FPL)
$2,651/mo
ARKids First-B (CHIP, 216% FPL)
$3,895/mo

3

ARKids First-A (Medicaid, 147% FPL)
$3,347/mo
ARKids First-B (CHIP, 216% FPL)
$4,918/mo

4

ARKids First-A (Medicaid, 147% FPL)
$4,043/mo
ARKids First-B (CHIP, 216% FPL)
$5,940/mo

5

ARKids First-A (Medicaid, 147% FPL)
$4,738/mo
ARKids First-B (CHIP, 216% FPL)
$6,942/mo

Income limits for other covered groups

Arkansas still maintains a legacy "Parents/Caretaker Relatives" Medicaid category left over from before the ACA expansion, with an extremely low income limit (as low as $124/month for a household of one, per DHS). In practice this rarely matters: because Arkansas expanded Medicaid through ARHOME, any parent who earns too much for the legacy category simply qualifies under ARHOME at up to 138% FPL instead — so there is no coverage gap for parents in Arkansas.

Pregnant women

Income limit (approx.)
214% FPL (~$2,846/mo individual)
Asset test?
No

Newborns (up to 1 year, if mother was enrolled)

Income limit (approx.)
Automatic — linked to mother's eligibility
Asset test?
No

Parents/caretaker relatives (legacy category)

Income limit (approx.)
Very low — ~$124/mo (family of 1)
Asset test?
No

SSI recipients (aged/blind/disabled)

Income limit (approx.)
SSI standard (~$994/mo, 2026)
Asset test?
SSI asset test applies

Nursing facility care

Income limit (approx.)
$2,982/mo (2026)
Asset test?
Yes — $2,000

ARHOME adults (19–64)

Income limit (approx.)
138% FPL (see table above)
Asset test?
No

Medicare Savings Programs (QMB) in Arkansas

Medicare Savings Programs give Arkansans on Medicare a Medicaid-funded way to offset premiums and, in the case of QMB, out-of-pocket costs entirely. Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) coverage pays the Part B premium ($202.90/month in 2026), the Part A premium where one is owed, and all Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments — providers are barred by federal law from billing a QMB enrollee for any of it.

QMB

Situation
Individual
Monthly income limit
$1,350/mo

QMB

Situation
Married couple
Monthly income limit
$1,824/mo

SLMB

Situation
Individual
Monthly income limit
$1,616/mo

SLMB

Situation
Married couple
Monthly income limit
$2,184/mo

QI

Situation
Individual
Monthly income limit
$1,816/mo

QI

Situation
Married couple
Monthly income limit
$2,455/mo

Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) and Qualifying Individual (QI) sit at higher income tiers but pay for less: just the Part B premium, with nothing toward deductibles or coinsurance. QI funding is capped each year and distributed first-come, first-served, so Arkansans near the QI income line should apply as early in the year as possible and reapply annually if approved.

Resource limits follow the federal standard: $9,950 for an individual and $14,910 for a married couple, counting bank accounts, investments, and similar assets, but excluding a primary home and one vehicle. Enrollees in any of the three tiers are also automatically signed up for Extra Help, capping their Part D prescription costs at $12.65 per drug in 2026.

These programs are administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, not by Medicare — apply through the county DHS office listed at humanservices.arkansas.gov.

Arkansas Medicaid (Arkansas Works)

Visit the official Arkansas Medicaid website

Income Limits in Nearby States

Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Kentucky

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