Arkansas Medicaid HCBS waivers pay for care at home instead of in a nursing facility, and the state delivers them mainly through one program: ARChoices in Homecare. Home and community-based services (HCBS) are the part of Medicaid that funds long-term care outside an institution, and in Arkansas ARChoices in Homecare is the waiver built for older adults and working-age adults with a physical disability who could otherwise end up in a nursing home.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 ARChoices in Homecare is run by the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) through its division of aging, adult, and behavioral health services (DAABHS), and it pays for the kind of daily help, bathing, dressing, meals, and getting around the house, that lets someone stay in their own home.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001
In This Guide
- What Arkansas Medicaid HCBS Waivers Are
- ARChoices in Homecare: The Main HCBS Waiver
- Who Qualifies for Arkansas Medicaid HCBS Waivers
- What ARChoices Covers
- How Enrollment and Application Work
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Arkansas Medicaid HCBS Waivers Are
Here's the idea behind the whole approach. Regular Medicaid will pay for a nursing home once someone needs that level of care, but many people who reach that level would rather stay in their own home if they can get the right support there. A home and community-based services waiver is the tool that makes that possible. It "waives" the usual rule that this kind of long-term care has to happen in an institution, so the same Medicaid dollars can instead pay for help delivered in your house or apartment.
These waivers come from a specific corner of federal law. The authority is section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act, which lets a state offer a defined set of in-home services to people who would otherwise qualify for institutional care. Arkansas uses that authority to run ARChoices in Homecare, and the federal government tracks the waiver on its official list under the number 0195.R06.00, with a status of Approved.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 The practical takeaway is simple: an HCBS waiver is not a different, lesser benefit. It is Medicaid long-term care, redirected from a facility to your home.
ARChoices in Homecare: The Main HCBS Waiver
ARChoices in Homecare is the waiver most Arkansas families are looking for when they search for home-care help. It is administered by Arkansas DHS through DAABHS, and its whole purpose is to provide home and community-based services as an alternative to nursing-home placement.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 In other words, ARChoices exists precisely for the person who has reached a nursing-home level of need but wants to stay home with support.
A little history helps you trust the program's footing. The federal record shows ARChoices was first approved back on July 1, 1991, and its current renewal period runs from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2026.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 Waivers like this run in multi-year cycles and renew on that schedule, so an expiration date on the federal list is a renewal checkpoint, not a sign the program is going away. If you want to see the state's own description of the services and how they fit together, DAABHS maintains an Arkansas long-term services and supports page that walks through the home-care options.
Who Qualifies for Arkansas Medicaid HCBS Waivers
Eligibility for ARChoices comes down to three tests, and you have to meet all three. Here's how each one works.
Age and situation. ARChoices serves two groups: adults ages 21 through 64 who have a physical disability, and seniors age 65 or older.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 A child, or an adult whose disability is developmental rather than physical, falls outside it.
Level of care. You have to need the intermediate level of care that Arkansas requires for nursing home admission.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 This is the functional test, and it is the heart of the waiver: the program is designed for people who genuinely would qualify for a nursing facility, so the state confirms that level of need before approving services. On top of that, you must need at least one of the waiver's covered services, so there is a real, documented reason the help is required.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001
Finances. You must also meet the state's established financial criteria for the waiver.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 Arkansas uses its Medicaid long-term care financial rules to check income and resources, and those limits are the same building blocks used across the state's long-term care programs. Because the exact numbers change year to year, the clearest place to confirm where you stand is our Arkansas Medicaid eligibility and income limits guide, and for married couples our Arkansas Medicaid spousal impoverishment guide explains how a spouse's income and assets are treated.
What ARChoices Covers
The service list is where an HCBS waiver becomes concrete. ARChoices is built around the everyday tasks that decide whether someone can safely stay home, and it covers a defined menu of them.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 The covered services are:
- Attendant Care, which is hands-on help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, moving around the home, preparing meals, and eating.
- Home-Delivered Meals, so nutrition doesn't depend on being able to shop and cook.
- A Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), the wearable button that summons help after a fall.
- Adult Day Services and Adult Day Health Services, daytime care in a group setting, with the health version adding skilled nursing supervision.
- Facility-Based Respite Care and In-Home Respite Care, which give an unpaid family caregiver a break, either at a facility or in the home.
- Environmental Modifications, meaning changes to the home that make it safer to move around, such as grab bars or a wheelchair ramp.
Think of these as the supports that fill the gaps a family can't cover alone. The mix a person actually receives is set through a care plan built around their assessed needs, so not everyone gets every service. What matters is that the waiver can assemble a package that keeps daily life at home workable.
How Enrollment and Application Work
Enrollment for ARChoices runs through Arkansas DHS.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 The most direct way to begin is to start an eligibility application through the state's Access Arkansas portal, or to contact DAABHS through its Choices in Living Resource Center, which is the front door for the state's home-care programs.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001
Federal rules give you more than one way in. Under Medicaid regulations, the state has to let you apply online, by phone, by mail, or in person, so you can choose whatever channel is easiest for your situation.U.S. Government Publishing Office. (n.d.). 42 CFR 435.907 — Application (eCFR, current). ecfr.gov. Retrieved Jul 13, 2026, from https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/section-435.907 Once you apply, the state also works against a clock: federal timeliness rules require an eligibility decision within 45 calendar days for most applicants, and within 90 calendar days when the application is based on disability.U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 CFR 435.912 Timely determination and redetermination of eligibility (2024 ed.) — govinfo.gov. govinfo.gov. Retrieved Jun 25, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2024-title42-vol4/pdf/CFR-2024-title42-vol4-sec435-912.pdf Those are the outer limits, not a promise of how fast every case moves, but they tell you what to expect and when it's fair to follow up.
Availability can change over time, so when you apply it's worth asking DAABHS directly about the current process and whether a waiver slot is open, rather than assuming either way. For a broader walkthrough of the state's Medicaid application steps, see our how to apply for Arkansas Medicaid guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is getting ARChoices at home different from nursing home Medicaid?
Both are Medicaid paying for the same level of care; the difference is where the care happens and how your money is treated. ARChoices delivers services in your own home as an alternative to nursing-home placement, so you keep your household and your income.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 In a nursing home, by contrast, most of a resident's monthly income goes toward the cost of care, and Medicaid lets them keep only a small Personal Needs Allowance (PNA), which federal law sets at a floor of at least $30 a month for an individual.U.S. Government Publishing Office. (n.d.). 42 U.S.C. 1396a(q)(2) — Minimum monthly personal needs allowance deduction (govinfo.gov USCODE). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/1396a For many families, staying home through a waiver is both the preference and the arrangement that preserves more of the household's income.
What can I do if Arkansas hasn't decided by the deadline?
The deadline is a maximum the state has to work against: generally 45 calendar days from your application date, and 90 calendar days if you apply on the basis of disability.U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 CFR 435.912 Timely determination and redetermination of eligibility (2024 ed.) — govinfo.gov. govinfo.gov. Retrieved Jun 25, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2024-title42-vol4/pdf/CFR-2024-title42-vol4-sec435-912.pdf Those limits can stretch only in unusual circumstances, such as a delay you or an examining physician caused. Once the window has passed with no decision, contact the agency, ask where your case stands, and request a written status update rather than continuing to wait.
Do I have to use every ARChoices service, or only the ones I need?
Only the ones you need. To enroll you have to need at least one of the waiver's covered services, and the specific mix you actually receive is set through a care plan built around your assessed needs, so not everyone gets every service.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 The plan is meant to fill the gaps you can't cover on your own, not to layer on help you don't use.
How do I find out whether an ARChoices slot is open right now?
The reliable step is to ask the people who run the program. Because openings and current processing can shift, contact DAABHS through the Choices in Living Resource Center, or start an application through Access Arkansas, and ask directly about current availability rather than relying on secondhand information.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). AR Choices in Homecare Waiver (0195.R06.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/81001 They can tell you where things stand and what your next step is.
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The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.