Arkansas Medicaid News: Renewal, 2026 Limits, and Denials

Arkansas Medicaid renewal happens once a year: the Department of Human Services either confirms your eligibility automatically using data it already has, or it mails you a renewal packet that you must complete and return by the deadline printed on the form. Missing that deadline is the most common reason Arkansans lose coverage they still qualify for, so the practical work of keeping Medicaid is mostly about making sure the packet reaches you and gets back to DHS on time.

How the Annual Renewal Works

Every Medicaid beneficiary in Arkansas goes through a redetermination once a year. DHS first tries an “ex parte” review, checking tax records and other data it can already access. If your eligibility can be confirmed that way, you’re renewed automatically and don’t need to do anything.

When DHS can’t verify your information on its own, it mails a renewal packet. That packet must be filled out and returned, and the deadline is firm. During the post-pandemic unwinding, Arkansas reported disenrolling roughly 77,000 beneficiaries in a single month, with a large share of those losses tied to paperwork problems rather than actual ineligibility.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. Arkansas Department of Human Services Releases June Report on Medicaid Unwinding Paperwork means addresses, missed forms, and unreturned documents.

You can complete a renewal three ways:

  • Online through the Access Arkansas portal at Access.Arkansas.gov
  • By mail, using the envelope included with your packet
  • In person at your local DHS county office

Online is the fastest, and creating an account before your renewal date arrives means you’re not scrambling when the packet shows up. The portal also lets you check your coverage status and report changes between renewals.

Keep DHS Able to Reach You

A renewal packet mailed to an old address will not follow you. This is the single most preventable reason people lose coverage, and DHS gives you two direct ways to fix it before your renewal comes due:

If you’ve moved since your last enrollment or renewal, do this now rather than waiting for the packet. Income changes, household size changes, and new phone numbers should also be reported as they happen, not saved up for renewal time.

If DHS Denies Your Renewal or Cuts Your Coverage

You have 35 calendar days from the date on the denial letter to request a fair hearing. The request must be in writing and must include a copy of the denial letter. Submit it through any of these channels:

  • Mail: DHS Office of Appeals and Hearings, P.O. Box 1437, Slot N401, Little Rock, AR 72203-1437
  • Phone: 501-682-8622
  • Fax: 501-404-4628
  • Email: DHS.appeals@dhs.arkansas.gov

There is a separate, shorter deadline that matters if you were already receiving services DHS is now cutting or reducing. You can ask that your services continue at the same level while the appeal is pending, but you must make that request within 10 calendar days of the denial letter date. If the appeal succeeds, services continue uninterrupted. If it fails, you may owe for services received during the appeal period.3Arkansas Department of Human Services. DMS Request for Appeal

The 10-day and 35-day clocks both run from the date DHS mailed the letter, not the date you received it. If the letter sat in your mailbox for a week, you’ve already lost a week.

If You Lose Coverage Anyway

Losing Medicaid opens a Special Enrollment Period on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov. You qualify if you lost Medicaid within the past 90 days or expect to lose it within the next 60.4HealthCare.gov. Apply for Marketplace Coverage if You Lost or Were Denied Medicaid or CHIP Premium tax credits are available depending on income, and the enrollment window is separate from the annual open enrollment period, so you can act as soon as your Medicaid ends.

If you believe the termination was a mistake, file the appeal first. Marketplace coverage is a backup, not a substitute for challenging a wrong decision.

2026 Income Limits and Program Rules That Affect Renewal

At renewal, DHS is checking whether you still fit within the income threshold for your program. The numbers changed for 2026.

AR HOME (Adults 19 to 64)

AR HOME (Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me) covers adults up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. For a single person in 2026, that works out to roughly $1,835 per month or about $22,025 per year, and the limit rises with household size.5HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States Coverage is delivered through private insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield or Ambetter, purchased with Medicaid funds.6Arkansas Department of Human Services. ARHOME Income is calculated using Modified Adjusted Gross Income, which generally matches what you report on your tax return before certain deductions.

ARKids First (Children Under 19)

A federal change that took effect in 2024 requires 12 months of continuous eligibility for children under 19 in Medicaid or CHIP.7Medicaid.gov. Continuous Eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP Coverage A child enrolled in ARKids A stays covered for a full 12 months from application or renewal, even if the family’s income rises during the year.8Arkansas Department of Human Services. Twelve Months Continuous Coverage of Children Under Age Nineteen A mid-year income bump no longer triggers a review.

Pregnancy Coverage

Act 124 of 2025, the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act, established presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women, letting an expectant mother begin prenatal care immediately while her full application is processed.9Arkansas House of Representatives. 2025 Maternal Health Legislation One boundary worth knowing: Arkansas has not adopted the 12-month postpartum coverage extension that every other state has implemented. Standard Medicaid pregnancy coverage in Arkansas ends 60 days after delivery, and renewal into another Medicaid category before that cutoff matters if you want to stay covered.

Aged, Blind, or Disabled Medicaid

ABD Medicaid follows SSI-based income rules. For 2026, a single applicant generally needs income at or below $994 per month.10Social Security Administration. SSI Federal Payment Amounts Resource limits also apply and vary by eligibility category.

ARChoices and Institutional-Level Care

ARChoices covers home and community-based services for adults 21 to 64 with physical disabilities and for seniors who want to remain at home instead of entering a nursing facility. The income limit is 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate, which comes to $2,982 per month in 2026.11Arkansas Department of Human Services. Health Care Eligibility – Quick Reference

Arkansas does not offer a medically needy “spend-down” pathway for long-term care. People whose income exceeds $2,982 per month but who need institutional-level care typically use a Qualified Income Trust, sometimes called a Miller Trust, to direct excess income into a trust that doesn’t count toward the eligibility limit.

Phone Numbers Worth Saving Before Renewal Time

DHS operates several lines, and calling the wrong one wastes time you may not have:

  • General Medicaid Help Desk, 1-800-482-8988, for eligibility questions, lost cards, and general assistance, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.12Arkansas Department of Human Services. Contact DMS
  • Update Arkansas Hotline, 1-844-872-2660, for address and contact updates so renewal packets reach you
  • Access Arkansas Call Center, 1-855-372-1084, for help with your online account and eligibility questions13Arkansas Department of Human Services. Hotlines
  • Office of Appeals and Hearings, 501-682-8622, for filing or tracking an appeal

If you take one step today, make it logging into Access.Arkansas.gov and confirming your mailing address. Everything else in the renewal process assumes DHS can find you.