How to Apply for Arkansas Medicaid?
Arkansas Medicaid provides a variety of health care services for low-income people. The program also offers a comprehensive array of social support services.
The Arkansas Medicaid program provides health care and social services to the state’s low-income residents. It is managed by the Department of Human Services. Eligibility depends on income and assets. Some services include early and periodic screening, diagnostic and treatment services, physician services, hospital care, physical therapy, laboratory services, family planning services, and transportation to medical care.
The Department of Human Services handles the day-to-day management of the Medicaid program, ensuring that providers get paid, and clients receive medically necessary care. This includes managed care programs, claims processing, and contracting for the fee-for-service Medicaid program. It is also responsible for the estate recovery program, which attempts to recover costs of care from deceased beneficiaries by using their remaining estate – including their homes.
Arkansas Medicaid Eligibility
A person’s home equity is not counted in the asset limit, but applicants may have up to $688,000 in assets. These assets include a home, car, life insurance policies with no cash value, burial trusts, and other personal property. The income limit is $943 per month for a single applicant, and $1,415 per month for a married couple.
Countable assets for the purpose of determining eligibility for long-term care Medicaid are cash, stocks, and bonds, investment accounts (including credit union and savings accounts), money market funds, bank-issued checks, personal property, life insurance policies with no cash value, irrevocable burial plans, and one’s home. There are also yearly limits on the number of tests and X-rays that Medicaid will cover for ARKids First-B and ARKids First.
People who lose their Medicaid can regain eligibility if they provide the state with the information it needs within 90 days. However, advocates say the state is disenrolling many people for procedural reasons, such as not returning renewal forms. This could result in thousands of Arkansans losing stable health insurance coverage.
As of April 1, 2019, Arkansas has stopped removing people from Medicaid for not complying with the work and reporting requirements. The state will now return to its normal protocol of conducting eligibility redeterminations once per year. This will include a review of assets limited to $2,000 in countable assets (bank accounts, investments, stocks, certificates of deposit and retirement funds). In addition, the home and certain non-countable assets like Irrevocable Funeral Trusts are excluded from the assessment.
The state has also changed its policy to allow enrollees to report their hours by phone rather than through an online portal and is engaging in additional outreach. Nevertheless, the work and reporting requirements remain in place and may continue to threaten coverage for some people.
How Does Arkansas Medicaid Work?
The Arkansas Department of Human Services manages the Arkansas Medicaid program and ensures that providers get paid and clients receive medically necessary services. Medicaid beneficiaries are required to pay a small amount of money called co-pays for some prescription drugs and medical care. ARKids First-A (Medicaid) and ARKids First-B (CHIP Title XXI funded) do not charge co-payments for children’s preventive visits like well-child checks.
The Arkansas Medicaid program covers long-term care through the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). This community-based care program is for seniors who meet financial and non-financial requirements. Arkansas Medicaid program is based on federal guidelines and uses state and federal funds to help pay for basic medical services for individuals who meet the eligibility guidelines. In addition to covering long-term care, the program also helps to provide dental and eye care. Medicaid pays adults up to $500 a year, including one exam, cleaning, and X-rays. The program does not cover teeth removal or dentures, however.
