ARKids First (Children's Health Coverage)

ARKids First provides health coverage to Arkansas children under age 19, in two parts. ARKids A is full Medicaid, and ARKids B is a CHIP program with more limited benefits and modest copays. Together they reach well up the income scale, so a working family should apply. Apply online through the Access Arkansas benefits portal.

ARKids A, the full Medicaid part, covers children in households up to 142 percent of poverty, about $1,888 a month for a family of one and $3,905 for a family of four. It provides full-benefit coverage with no copayments.

ARKids B, the CHIP part, reaches higher, up to about 211 percent of poverty, roughly $2,806 a month for a family of one and $5,802 for four. It provides more limited benefits and requires modest copays, for example a $10 copay for dental.

Both programs assign your child a primary care physician. And coverage can reach back: it can be retroactive up to three months before your application date, so recent medical bills may be covered.

The two-part structure means most Arkansas children in low- and moderate-income families can get covered somewhere, so do not leave a child uninsured assuming there are no options.

Apply through Access Arkansas, the same portal used for SNAP, TEA, and ARHOME, so a parent applying for other help can add the children in one place. Dial 2-1-1 to find community health centers while an application processes.