Arkansas is bringing back Medicaid work requirements in 2026, nearly a decade after its first attempt ended with more than 18,000 people losing coverage. The state's new effort, called the ARHOME Community Engagement and Work Requirement, officially soft-launched on July 1, 2026, with full enforcement beginning January 1, 2027. Whether you are currently enrolled in ARHOME or just trying to understand what changed, here is a full breakdown of the requirement, who it applies to, the exemptions, and what the 2018 rollout taught policymakers about what not to do.
What Is the ARHOME Work Requirement?
ARHOME is Arkansas's version of expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. It covers adults ages 19 to 64 with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). For 2026, that is approximately $20,783 per year for a single person or $43,056 for a family of four.
The new community engagement requirement mandates that non-exempt ARHOME enrollees complete at least 80 hours per month of qualifying activities to keep their coverage. Those activities include:
- Employment (paid work)
- Vocational education or job training
- Higher education (college or technical school)
- Community service or volunteering
- Participation in an approved work program
You can combine activities to reach the 80-hour monthly threshold. For example, working 40 hours at a part-time job and volunteering 40 hours counts.
2026 Implementation Timeline
| Phase | Date | What Happens |
|---|
| Soft launch | July 1, 2026 | DHS begins automated compliance checks; no penalties |
| Full enforcement | January 1, 2027 | Non-compliant enrollees get 30 days to comply before suspension |
| After 30-day notice | February 2027 | Coverage suspended for enrollees still out of compliance |
During the soft launch phase, Arkansas DHS is running its automated systems in the background to identify who is compliant, who qualifies for an exemption, and who may need outreach. No one loses coverage during this phase. The goal is to work out technical problems and make sure enrollees understand the requirement before penalties kick in.
Who Is Exempt?
Arkansas built a broader exemptions list than it had in 2018. Enrollees who qualify for an exemption do not have to meet the 80-hour requirement. Exemption categories include:
- Pregnant or postpartum women (up to 12 months postpartum)
- People with a disability or serious medical condition
- Primary caregivers of a dependent child or incapacitated adult
- Full-time students
- People recently released from incarceration
- Individuals experiencing homelessness
- Medically frail individuals
If you think you qualify for an exemption, you do not need to track or report hours. Arkansas DHS will use data matching from existing government databases to verify exemption status where possible, reducing the amount of paperwork enrollees need to submit on their own.
Arkansas Medicaid Income Limits 2026
To be eligible for ARHOME in the first place, you must meet the income thresholds below. The work requirement only applies to expansion adults, not to the other Medicaid categories shown here.
| Category | Income Limit (% FPL) | Approx. Monthly Income (Family of 3) |
|---|
| Adults 19-64 (ARHOME expansion) | 138% FPL | $2,523/month |
| Children 0-18 | 142% FPL | $2,596/month |
| CHIP (ARKids B) | 211% FPL | $3,858/month |
| Pregnant women | 214% FPL | $3,913/month |
Income limits are based on Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). The 2026 Federal Poverty Level is $15,060 per year for one person.
What Happened in 2018: The First Attempt
Arkansas became the first state in U.S. history to implement Medicaid work requirements when it launched the program in June 2018. The results were disastrous in ways that had little to do with whether people were actually working.
Between September and December 2018, more than 18,000 Arkansans lost their Medicaid coverage. Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that 97% of those who lost coverage were already compliant with the work requirement or would have qualified for an exemption. They did not stop working. They lost coverage because they could not successfully navigate a broken reporting system.
Here is what went wrong:
The online portal was the only reporting option for most people. Arkansas ranked near the bottom of all states for broadband access in 2018. People who did not have reliable internet at home had no practical way to log their hours each month.
The website was difficult to use. Even people with internet access struggled to create accounts and navigate the portal. Technical glitches caused submitted reports to not be recorded properly.
Reporting was required every single month. Unlike annual eligibility renewals, the work requirement demanded monthly reporting. That meant 12 chances per year to miss a deadline or hit a technical error.
Communication failures compounded the problem. Nearly half of all case closures were related to communication breakdowns, including inability to reach people by mail and failure to return forms. Many enrollees did not know the requirement existed until they received a termination notice.
The annual renewal and monthly work report overlapped confusingly. Enrollees described receiving two sets of paperwork asking for similar information at the same time, with no clear explanation of why both were needed.
A federal district court blocked the program in April 2019, and coverage losses were largely reversed. The Biden administration formally rejected Arkansas's waiver request in 2021.
What Research Showed
Multiple peer-reviewed studies published afterward confirmed that the 2018 work requirement did not increase employment. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found no statistically significant change in employment rates among the affected population after the requirement was implemented. The people who lost coverage were largely already working, in school, caregiving, or facing health challenges that should have qualified them for exemptions.
The primary effect was reducing insurance coverage, not increasing workforce participation.
What Is Different in 2026
Arkansas officials have repeatedly cited the 2018 experience as the reason for a more careful rollout this time. Key differences include:
Automated data matching. Instead of requiring enrollees to log hours every month through a website, DHS is using data from other state and federal programs, including employment records, school enrollment systems, and disability databases, to determine compliance status automatically. This removes the need for most enrollees to report anything on their own.
Soft launch period. The July 2026 soft launch is specifically designed to catch problems before enforcement begins. DHS will identify where the automated systems fall short and where enrollees need direct outreach.
Multiple communication channels. The 2018 program relied heavily on a single website. The 2026 version emphasizes in-person outreach, community partners, town halls, phone support, and written notices.
Suspension instead of termination. Under the 2026 rules, non-compliant enrollees receive a 30-day warning and, if they still do not come into compliance, their coverage is suspended rather than permanently terminated. Reinstatement is possible once they demonstrate compliance.
Exemption expansion. The exemption list is broader than it was in 2018, and exemptions are proactively identified through data matching rather than requiring enrollees to apply for them individually in most cases.
How to Stay Covered: What ARHOME Enrollees Should Do Now
If you are currently enrolled in ARHOME, here are the steps to take before January 1, 2027:
-
Confirm your current contact information with DHS. Make sure your mailing address, phone number, and email on file are current. You will need to receive notices about your compliance status.
-
Check whether you qualify for an exemption. If you are pregnant, have a disability, care for a child or dependent adult, or are in school, you may be automatically exempt. Contact Arkansas DHS at 1-855-MyARDHS (1-855-692-7347) to verify your status.
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Gather documentation of your qualifying activities. Even if DHS is using automated data matching, having records of your employment, school enrollment, or volunteer hours gives you backup if your records are not automatically verified.
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Attend a free DHS town hall. Arkansas DHS scheduled public town halls to explain the requirement before enforcement begins. Check humanservices.arkansas.gov for upcoming events.
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Apply at MyDHS. If you are not yet enrolled in Medicaid and think you qualify, you can apply online at access.arkansas.gov or in person at your local DHS county office.
To check whether you may qualify for ARHOME or other benefits programs, use the free Benefits Navigator screener at benefitsusa.org/screener. It checks eligibility across Medicaid, SNAP, CHIP, and other programs in Arkansas all at once.
For a broader overview of what Arkansas residents can qualify for, see our Arkansas benefits guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ARHOME work requirement?
The ARHOME Community Engagement and Work Requirement mandates that non-exempt adults enrolled in Arkansas's expanded Medicaid program complete 80 hours per month of qualifying activities, including work, school, volunteering, or job training, to maintain their coverage. Full enforcement starts January 1, 2027.
Who has to meet the ARHOME work requirement?
Adults ages 19 to 64 enrolled in ARHOME who do not qualify for an exemption. People who are pregnant, postpartum, disabled, medically frail, caregivers, full-time students, recently incarcerated, or experiencing homelessness are exempt and do not need to track or report hours.
What happened to people who lost Medicaid in 2018 under the work requirement?
More than 18,000 Arkansans lost coverage between September and December 2018. Research showed that 97% of those who lost coverage were already meeting the work requirement or qualified for an exemption. Most lost coverage due to administrative barriers, including a difficult online reporting portal and inadequate communications.
Does the work requirement apply to children on Medicaid or CHIP in Arkansas?
No. The requirement applies only to non-exempt adults ages 19 to 64 enrolled in ARHOME, the expansion population. Children covered through ARKids First (Arkansas's CHIP program) are not subject to any work requirement.
What counts as a qualifying activity under the 2026 ARHOME requirement?
Paid employment, vocational training, higher education, community service, volunteering, and participation in an approved work program all count. You can mix and match activities to reach the 80-hour monthly threshold.
What if I lose ARHOME coverage due to the work requirement?
Your coverage will be suspended, not permanently terminated. You will receive a 30-day notice before suspension. Once you demonstrate compliance or qualify for an exemption, you can be reinstated. You can also explore other coverage options through the ACA Marketplace at healthcare.gov if you lose Medicaid.
How is Arkansas making the 2026 work requirement different from 2018?
The state is using automated data matching to verify compliance rather than requiring monthly self-reporting through a website. There is also a soft launch phase without penalties, broader exemptions, multi-channel communication, and a suspension rather than termination policy.
Where can I get help with the ARHOME work requirement?
Contact Arkansas DHS at 1-855-MyARDHS (1-855-692-7347), visit your local county DHS office, or go to access.arkansas.gov. You can also use the free Benefits Navigator screener to check your eligibility across multiple programs at once.
