Arkansas Health Insurance

According to Families USA, Arkansas ranked 12th in the nation with 37.2 percent of its residents under age 65 without health insurance for some portion of the 2006-2007 two-year period. The total number of uninsured Arkansans in this group numbered almost 900,000 people. Nationwide, four out of five individuals (79.3 percent) who went without health insurance during 2006-2007 were from working families: 70.6 percent worked full-time, and 8.7 percent worked part-time.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 47 million Americans were uninsured in 2006. The numbers of uninsured varies among states primarily because of four factors including labor market variations, demographics, public programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, and state insurance policies and laws.

Arkansas Health Insurance Regulations

There are state laws regulating Arkansas health insurance policies and plans. All Arkansas health insurance policies must provide a guaranteed renewability provision to prevent Arkansas health insurance companies from denying a request to renew insurance.

Some Arkansas health insurance companies have other policies restricting consumers. One of these is a pre-existing condition exclusion provision, which allows Arkansas health insurance companies to exclude (permanently or temporarily) coverage for any individual with a pre-existing medical condition. By definition, a pre-existing condition is one where the person has received medical treatment prior to beginning health insurance.

State laws allow Arkansas health insurance companies to deny coverage or charge more for coverage based on the health status of an individual may be taken into account every time that individual renews Arkansas health insurance. This, of course, can result in a significant increase of premiums. There are also Arizona health insurance companies that provide access to temporary insurance if an individual is between plans.

Alternative Arkansas Health Insurance Options

Alternative Arkansas health insurance plans are available to those who may not qualify for individual health insurance or Arkansas medical insurance plans. Some of these options are:

• Arkansas Medicaid is available to qualifying individuals who meet income criteria.

If you are hurt or sick and need a lot of care, you might be able to get temporary help from Medicaid even if you make too much money to get regular Medicaid. To qualify for the Medicaid Spend-Down program, you must be spending a large part of your money on medical care. You have to re-enroll in Medicaid Spend-Down every three months. For more information about Medicaid Spend-Down, contact the DHS (Department of Human Services) office in your county for details.

• Arkansas Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool (CHIP) is the Arkansas insurance option for "HIPAA eligible" individuals. HIPAA is the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This individual, comprehensive medical insurance policy is available to those who are otherwise considered "high-risk" or "uninsurable" under most Arkansas health insurance plans. A pre-existing condition may apply. For more information about CHIP, visit CHIPArkansas.org.
• ARKids First is the state Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) designed to provide health insurance to children under 19 which provides coverage for over 70,000 Arkansas children who otherwise would have been uninsured. To qualify for ARKids FIRST, families must be ineligible for Medicaid and unable to afford Arizona medical insurance. ARKids First allows children to visit the doctor, get eye exams, visit the dentist and receive emergency care if needed.

Other Health Care Options In Arkansas

• Arkansas BreastCare Program - provides some screening and treatment
• Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) for those receiving benefits under the TAA program
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) recipients may be eligible for the Health Coverage Tax Credit.

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Arizona Health Insurance Organizations Include:

Arkansas Insurance Department
1200 West Third Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 371-2600
(800) 282-9134 toll free
(501) 371-2618 fax

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For other Arkansas Insurance Resources, See:

• Arkansas Auto Insurance
• Arkansas Home Insurance
• Arkansas Health Insurance

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