Arkansas Department of Human Services announced a soft launch of Medicaid work requirements beginning July 1, 2026, through its Pathway to Prosperity program. Adults enrolled in ARHOME, Arkansas's Medicaid expansion program, must demonstrate 20 hours per week of work, school, or volunteer activity.

But no one will lose coverage in 2026. Disenrollments for non-compliance don't start until January 1, 2027.

The six-month window between July 1 and January 1 is the critical opportunity for disability families to get their exemption status documented in the system before enforcement begins.

What Happens July 1

Starting July 1, Arkansas DHS begins tracking compliance with work requirements for ARHOME enrollees ages 19-64. The requirement is 80 hours per month, roughly 20 hours per week, of qualifying activities:

• Employment (paid work)
• Job training or education programs
• Community service or volunteer work
• Job search activities through approved programs

If you don't meet the requirement for three consecutive months after January 1, 2027, you lose Medicaid coverage.

But between July 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026, DHS is only tracking. They're not disenrolling anyone. If you don't report hours during the soft launch, you won't lose coverage. The state is using this period to test the reporting system and conduct outreach.

The problem: if you're exempt from work requirements due to disability and you don't establish that exemption during the soft launch, you may not be exempt in the system when enforcement begins January 1.

Who Is Exempt

Arkansas exempts the following groups from work requirements:

• Anyone receiving SSI (Supplemental Security Income)
• Anyone receiving SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance)
• Anyone enrolled in Medicare
• Disabled veterans
• Individuals classified as medically frail by DHS
• Primary caregivers for children under age 6
• Primary caregivers for other adults who are disabled
• Pregnant individuals
• Students enrolled full-time in an accredited institution

If you fall into any of these categories, you don't need to report work hours. But you do need to establish your exemption status with DHS so the system knows you're exempt when January 2027 enforcement begins.

The 18,000-Person Lesson from 2018

Arkansas ran work requirements for Medicaid expansion enrollees from June 2018 to March 2019, before a federal court struck down the program. During those nine months, 18,000 people lost Medicaid coverage.

Independent analysis by researchers at Harvard and Georgetown found that almost all of those disenrollments were due to paperwork and documentation failures, not actual non-compliance. People who qualified for exemptions didn't document them. People who were working didn't report hours. People who never received notices didn't respond.

The state's reporting portal had technical failures. Notices went to outdated addresses. People with disabilities who should have been automatically exempt were marked non-compliant because exemption status wasn't updated in the system.

The 2026 soft launch is designed to avoid that outcome. The six-month window gives families time to fix contact information, establish exemption status, and test the reporting system before anyone loses coverage.

What You Need to Do Right Now

If you're enrolled in ARHOME and you believe you qualify for a disability exemption, take these steps before July 1:

1. Update Your Contact Information with DHS

Log in to the Arkansas DHS Access Portal or call the DHS Helpline at 1-855-372-1228. Verify that DHS has your current:

• Mailing address
• Phone number
• Email address

If any of this information is outdated, update it immediately. Notices about work requirements and exemption verification will be sent to the address on file. If you don't receive the notice, you can't respond.

2. Confirm Your Exemption Category

If you receive SSI, SSDI, or Medicare, Arkansas should automatically classify you as exempt based on data matching with Social Security Administration and CMS. But automatic doesn't mean instant. The data-matching process can lag by months.

Call the DHS Helpline at 1-855-372-1228 and ask:

• "Am I currently classified as exempt from work requirements in the Pathway to Prosperity program?"
• "If not, what documentation do I need to submit to establish exemption?"

If you're a disabled veteran, you'll need to provide documentation from the VA showing service-connected disability status.

If you're a primary caregiver for a child under 6 or another adult who is disabled, you may need to provide proof of the caregiving relationship.

3. Document Medically Frail Status If You Don't Receive SSI/SSDI

If you have a disability or chronic condition that substantially limits daily functioning, but you don't receive SSI or SSDI, you may qualify for exemption as medically frail.

Arkansas is one of six states that does not accept self-attestation for medically frail exemption. You can't simply check a box that says "I have a disability" on a form. You need formal medical documentation from a licensed provider.

Request a letter from your treating physician, psychiatrist, or specialist that includes:

• Your diagnosis
• A statement that your condition substantially limits one or more major life activities (walking, standing, lifting, concentrating, working, caring for yourself)
• Confirmation that your condition requires ongoing treatment or specialist care
• Recent treatment history (appointments, medications, procedures within the last 12 months)

The letter doesn't need to be long. One page confirming diagnosis, functional limitation, and ongoing treatment is sufficient.

Submit this documentation to DHS before the soft launch begins. You can upload documents through the Access Portal or mail them to Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services, P.O. Box 1437, Slot S-295, Little Rock, AR 72203-1437.

4. Watch for Outreach Notices Starting July 1

DHS will begin sending notices to ARHOME enrollees in July explaining work requirements, exemptions, and how to report hours. Even if you're exempt, you should receive a notice. Read it carefully.

If the notice says you're subject to work requirements and you believe you qualify for exemption, call the helpline immediately. Don't wait.

If you don't receive a notice by mid-July, call DHS and ask why. It may mean your contact information is outdated in the system.

5. Test the Reporting System During the Soft Launch

If you're not exempt and you're working or participating in qualifying activities, use the soft launch period to test the reporting portal. Log in, report hours, and confirm the system is tracking your compliance.

If you encounter technical problems, report them to DHS. The soft launch is designed to surface these issues before enforcement begins.

What Happens If You Don't Act

If you qualify for exemption but you don't establish that status with DHS before January 1, 2027, you'll be subject to work requirements by default, which means you must report 80 hours per month of qualifying activities. If you fail to meet the requirement for three consecutive months, you lose ARHOME coverage. Once you lose coverage, you must reapply and go through eligibility determination again.

Even if you later prove you qualified for exemption the entire time, you still lost coverage. The reinstatement process can take weeks or months.

The soft launch window is the time to prevent that outcome.

Why the Soft Launch Matters

The 2018-2019 Arkansas work requirements failed because the state implemented tracking and enforcement simultaneously. People lost coverage before they understood the requirements, before technical problems were fixed, and before exemption status was properly documented.

The 2026 soft launch separates those steps. Tracking starts July 1. Enforcement starts January 1. The six months in between are the window to get it right.

If you're a disability family enrolled in ARHOME, use this time. Update contact information. Confirm exemption status. Gather documentation if you need it. Test the reporting system.

January 2027 will be here faster than you think, and once disenrollments start, the burden shifts to you to prove you should have been exempt all along.

Where to Get Help

Arkansas DHS Helpline: Call 1-855-372-1228, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Central.

Arkansas Access Portal: Access the portal at https://access.arkansas.gov.

Legal Aid of Arkansas: Call 1-800-952-9243 or visit https://arlegalaid.org.

Disability Rights Arkansas: Call 1-800-482-1174 or visit https://disabilityrightsar.org.

If you need help navigating the exemption process, understanding what documentation DHS requires, or appealing a determination that you're subject to work requirements when you believe you qualify for exemption, contact one of these organizations before the soft launch begins.

The six-month window is the opportunity. Don't wait until December.