Medicaid Long-Term Care Guide in Arkansas
Long-term care eligibility, benefits, and how to apply through the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services.
What makes Arkansas Medicaid different
Medicaid is a health care program for low-income individuals of all ages. In Arkansas, Medicaid is also called Health Care. AR Medicaid pays for nursing home care, adult foster care, assisted living, and non-medical supports that help frail seniors remain living at home. There are three categories of Medicaid programs through which Arkansas seniors (aged 65+) may be eligible for long-term care.
Administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services.
Program Types
Institutional / Nursing Home Medicaid
Anyone who is eligible will receive assistance. Care is provided in Medicaid-certified nursing home facilities.
Level of care: Nursing Home
HCBS Waivers
Limited participant slots and waiting lists may exist. Intended to delay nursing home admissions, services are provided at home, adult day care, an adult family home, or in assisted living.
Level of care: Nursing Home
Regular Medicaid (Aged Blind and Disabled / AABD)
Anyone who meets the requirements will receive benefits. Some long-term care services like personal care assistance or adult day care may be available, though this is not Long-Term Care Medicaid.
Level of care: Help with ADLs
2026 Arkansas Medicaid Long-Term Care Eligibility for Seniors
Institutional / Nursing Home Medicaid*
Medicaid Waivers / Home and Community Based Services†
Regular Medicaid / Aged Blind and Disabled (ARSeniors)‡
*All of a beneficiary's monthly income, minus a Personal Needs Allowance of $40 / month, Medicare premiums, and potentially a Needs Allowance for a non-applicant spouse, must be paid to the nursing home. This is called a Patient Liability.
†Based on one's living setting, a beneficiary may not be able to keep monthly income up to this level.
‡The ARSeniors pathway is only for seniors aged 65+. Another pathway is via SSI — persons eligible for SSI are automatically eligible for AR Medicaid. In 2026, the SSI income limit is $994/mo for an individual and $1,491/mo for a couple. The SSI asset limit is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
Explore Arkansas Medicaid Programs
Compare programs, see caregiver pay rates, get step-by-step application guidance, and check your eligibility — all specific to Arkansas.
Long-term care Medicaid guide
Eligibility · Caregiver pay · How to apply · 2026 data
Important: Rates vary — contact your state Medicaid office for current figures. This tool provides general guidance, not legal or financial advice.
Compare Medicaid Programs — Arkansas
How the main LTC programs available in Arkansas compare side by side.
| Program | Pay | Pay type | Tax-free? | Spouse OK? | Waitlist? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer-directed HCBS | $13–15/hr | Hourly wage | No | Usually no | Often |
| Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) | Not in Arkansas | Daily stipend | Yes | Usually no | Often |
| Personal Care Agreement | Market rate (from assets) | Private pay | No | Yes | No |
| VA Aid & Attendance | Up to $2,874/mo | Monthly pension | Yes | Yes | No |
Arkansas Medicaid programs
Elder Choices Waiver
Alternatives Waiver
Sources: KFF (Jan 2026), medicaidplanningassistance.org (Feb 2026). Programs and rates change — verify with your state Medicaid office.
How Family Caregivers Get Paid Through Medicaid in Arkansas
If you're a family member providing care, you may be able to get paid through Medicaid — often at rates comparable to a home care agency.
Consumer-directed care — hourly pay
Available in ArkansasHow it works: The person receiving care becomes the "employer" — they hire you and a fiscal intermediary handles payroll, taxes, and paperwork on their behalf. You receive a paycheck just like a regular job.
How to apply: DHS Aging & Adult Services · dhs.arkansas.gov
Personal Care Agreement — private pay from assets
Available to any familySources: KFF Medicaid Home Care Survey 2025 (Jan 2026), Careforth FAQ (Jan 2026), IRS Notice 2014-7.
How to Apply for Medicaid Long-Term Care in Arkansas
What to expect when applying for LTC Medicaid and getting family caregiver pay set up in Arkansas. The process typically takes 45–90 days from application to first paycheck.
Apply in Arkansas: DHS Aging & Adult Services · dhs.arkansas.gov
Medicaid Eligibility Screener — Arkansas
Answer 7 quick questions — we'll check the financial and care requirements for Arkansas and explain what each one means.
What is the marital status of the person who needs care?
Medicaid looks at only the applicant's income and assets — but being married triggers special protections that let the healthy spouse keep significantly more money.
Sources
- CMS Medicaid — eligibility, HCBS waivers, and long-term services medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility
- CMS Medicaid — Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) medicaid.gov/medicaid/home-community-based-services
- Social Security Administration — SSI Federal Benefit Rate (2026 figures) ssa.gov/oact/cola/SSI.html
- CMS — Spousal Impoverishment standards (CSRA & MMMNA) medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/spousal-impoverishment
- CMS — Estate Recovery and the 5-year lookback period medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/estate-recovery
- IRS Notice 2014-7 — Tax treatment of Medicaid caregiver payments irs.gov/individuals/certain-medicaid-waiver-payments-may-be-excludable-from-income
Educational guidance only — not legal or financial advice. Your state Medicaid office determines actual eligibility.
Key Rules at a Glance
- Nearly all income counts — wages, pensions, Social Security, IRA withdrawals, stock dividends, alimony, annuity payments, and cash from family/friends.
- Holocaust restitution payments are not counted as income nationally.
- VA Aid & Attendance (above Basic VA Pension) does NOT count as income in AR.
- For Nursing Home / Waivers: only the applicant spouse's income is counted; the non-applicant spouse's income is disregarded.
- For Regular Medicaid (AABD): income of both spouses counts toward eligibility. There is no MMMNA for a non-applicant spouse.
- SSI recipients are automatically eligible for Arkansas Medicaid, including long-term care via Regular Medicaid.
All of a beneficiary's monthly income, minus a $40/mo Personal Needs Allowance and Medicare premiums, must be paid to the nursing home (Patient Liability).
- Countable assets include cash, stocks, bonds, bank accounts, cryptocurrency, pension funds, investments, and non-primary real estate.
- IRAs and 401Ks are counted in Arkansas.
- Exempt assets: personal belongings, household furnishings, one automobile, life insurance without cash surrender value, burial spaces, irrevocable burial plans, and generally one's primary home.
- All assets of a married couple are considered jointly owned regardless of which program is applied for.
- Home is automatically exempt if a spouse, child under 21, or permanently blind/disabled child of any age lives in it.
- Otherwise, home equity interest limit is $730,000 (2026).
- Applicant must declare Intent to Return if no qualifying family lives there.
- No home equity interest limit for Regular Medicaid.
- Home is NOT exempt from Medicaid's Estate Recovery Program (MERP) after the beneficiary's death.
- 60-month (5-year) look-back period for Nursing Home Medicaid and HCBS Waivers.
- All asset transfers by the applicant and their spouse during this period are scrutinized for gifts or below-market sales.
- Violations result in a Penalty Period of Medicaid ineligibility.
- The federal $19,000 Gift Tax exclusion does NOT apply to Medicaid's look-back rules.
- No look-back period for Regular Medicaid.
- MMMNA: $2,643.75/mo (eff. 7/1/25 – 6/30/26) · CSRA: Up to $162,660 · CSRA Min: $32,532
- Non-applicant spouse is entitled to a Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) of $2,643.75/mo (eff. 7/1/25 – 6/30/26).
- If the non-applicant spouse's income is below this amount, income can be transferred from the applicant spouse to reach it.
- A non-applicant spouse can further increase their allowance if housing/utility costs exceed the shelter standard of $793.13/mo (eff. 7/1/25 – 6/30/26), up to a maximum of $4,066.50/mo.
- Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA): non-applicant spouse keeps 50% of the couple's assets, up to $162,660.
- If the non-applicant's share is under $32,532, they may retain 100% of assets up to $32,532.
- No CSRA for Regular Medicaid.
- Medically Needy Pathway: Arkansas has a Spend Down Program for Regular Medicaid / ABD for persons over the income limit. The medically needy income limit (MNIL) is $108.33/mo for a single applicant and $216.66/mo for a couple. The spend down is calculated for a 3-month period. The medically needy asset limit is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
- Qualified Income Trusts (QITs / Miller Income Trusts): called Income Trusts in Arkansas. Deposit excess income into an irrevocable trust managed by a trustee for specific medical expenses. Income in the trust no longer counts towards Medicaid's income limit.
- Asset Spend Down: spend excess assets on non-countable items — home modifications, prepaid funeral/burial expenses, or paying off debt. Keep documentation as proof Medicaid's Look-Back Rule was not violated.
- Medicaid Planning: work with a Certified Medicaid Planner to employ strategies for eligibility and protect your home from Estate Recovery.
Arkansas Medicaid Programs
ARChoices in Homecare Waiver
Supportive services for seniors and adults with physical disabilities including adult day care, meal delivery, home modifications, personal emergency response systems, and attendant care. Participants can self-direct care via Independent Choices (IC) — hiring their own caregiver, including select relatives such as an adult child.
Living Choices Assisted Living Waiver (ALW)
Pays for personal care services in assisted living facilities (does not cover room and board). Other benefits include medication oversight, non-medical transportation, and nursing evaluations.
Medicaid State Plan Personal Care
Assistance with daily living activities including bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, meal preparation, housekeeping, and grocery shopping. Care can be participant-directed via Independent Choices. Participants may live at home, an assisted living facility, or a residential care facility. A spouse or legal guardian cannot be hired as a caregiver.
PACE
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly — combines Medicaid and Medicare benefits into a single program. Additional benefits such as dental and eye care may be available.
Money Follows the Person (MFP)
A federal program that helps institutionalized Medicaid-eligible persons transition back home or into the community.
How to Apply
- Apply online at Access Arkansas
- Apply in-person at your local Department of Human Services (DHS) Office
- Apply by mail using the Arkansas DHS Application for SNAP, Health Care, and TEA/RCA Benefits
- Contact your local DHS office or the state DHS office at 501-682-1001
- Contact your local Area Agency on Aging for questions and application assistance
Ensure all eligibility requirements are met before applying. If over the income/asset limits, consider Medicaid planning for the best chance of acceptance. The application process may vary based on the program for which one is applying.
More Arkansas Long-Term Care Resources
Take the Next Step for Arkansas Medicaid
Find out if you qualify or see how Medicaid fits into your overall long-term care plan.
Sources & references
Verified May 2026- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Long-Term Services & Supports
- Administration for Community Living — State Medicaid Agencies
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Medicaid Eligibility
- American Council on Aging — About Medicaid Planning Assistance
- Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services — Arkansas Medicaid — Official site