What Are Medicaid's Low Income Requirements in Arkansas?

Arkansas provides Medicaid coverage to single persons and families who meet the eligibility criteria, including limits on income and resources, or assets the applicant has. Medicaid is free or reduced cost health insurance, and the benefit is issued through the Arkansas Department of Human Services. A person who wishes to receive Medicaid must submit an application to the county office responsible for the area where he lives.

Eligibility

• All persons who meet program income level and asset restrictions are usually eligible for Arkansas Medicaid. Some groups of applicants, such as the disabled, blind or elderly, have less restrictions on income for coverage. Children are not subject to asset limitations in the state. A woman who is pregnant is considered two people for the purposes of income levels.

Program Types

• Those who are senior citizens, blind or disabled receive full Medicaid through Arkansas automatically if receiving Supplemental Social Security payments. Other programs cover individuals who are not receiving SSI but fall under a specific program category, such as Working Disabled for disabled persons who are unemployed, and Disabled Adult Child, for a disabled or blind person who became disabled or blind before the age of 22.

  Medicaid programs for children and families in Arkansas include ARKids A and ARKids B, with "B" covering less because of higher income levels, and TEA Medicaid, for single parent families or a single person. Breast & Cervical Cancer Medicaid covers all services related to treating the disease for a single person or family who does not qualify for Medicaid or belong in another category.

Income Limits

• Income and asset limits for the various Arkansas Medicaid programs vary by type. A single adult cannot have income exceeding $81 per month or assets exceeding $1,000 as of 2011; however, the family home and car do not count. A family of two cannot have more than $1,614.85 in monthly income for ARKids A if the covered child is under 6, but the amount decreases to $1,214.17 for older children. ARKids B has a monthly income limit of $2,428.34 per month for a family of two. Pregnant women follow the ARKids B income restrictions.

  A person eligible for Working Disabled can't earn more than $2,256.25 per month or have more than $4,000 in resources, while a Disabled Adult Child applicant cannot have more than $674 in monthly earnings or $2,000 in resources. Breast and Cervical Cancer coverage is available to a woman earning less than $1,805 per month, and resources are not included.

Considerations

• Arkansas has a special Medicaid program for those diagnosed with tuberculosis. The treatment is covered for a person making less than $1,805 per month, with no consideration of resources.

  A person or family who had TEA Medicaid but lost coverage due to a rise in income may be eligible for Transitional Medicaid. Transitional Medicaid provides benefits for the first six months after the single adult or family became ineligible for TEA Medicaid. Additional coverage is available as long as the new income does not exceed program limits: $1,669.63 for a single adult as of 2011, and $2,246.21 for a family of two.