Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Federal, exists in every state

Other ways into Medicaid when income is too high

Arkansas has Medicaid routes that look at disability, care needs or medical bills when ordinary coverage does not fit.

What it is

Arkansas has Medicaid routes that look at disability, care needs or medical bills when ordinary coverage does not fit.

TEFRA checks your child’s disability and care needs without using parents’ income to decide eligibility. Spend-down is a different route for children under 18 with large unpaid bills. The county can compare these with ordinary ARKids coverage.

Other details
  • TEFRA covers children 18 or younger who meet the disability, level-of-care and home-care tests.
  • Spend-down has an under-18 child category and requires re-enrollment every three months.
What you get
  • Another route to Medicaid when its separate rules are met.
Other details
  • Social Security’s disability test and a Medicaid level-of-care test are separate decisions.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the hospital enrollment specialist to compare ARKids, TEFRA and spend-down using your child’s care records and your current bills.

County Department of Human Services office, 1-855-372-1084 · Official page ↗

Other details
  • Ask the county which test decided the application and what records could change the answer.
Good to know

TEFRA uses parents’ income to set a premium even though it leaves that income out of eligibility.

Other details
  • The state cards describe the premium and the financial tests for each route.

Related Arkansas cards: TEFRA and spend-down Medicaid.

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“If ordinary ARKids coverage does not fit, what are the benefits and drawbacks of TEFRA or spend-down for us, and could you help us compare them?”

Why I’m asking: I want to understand the other routes without assuming that a diagnosis settles every test.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Ask which state option fits, confirm its application requirements and gather the requested financial and medical records.

Your social worker

Names the state's option and its phone number, and sends the medical application paperwork to the clinician who writes it.

The care team

Writes the medical application paperwork: diagnosis, treatment plan, daily care.

Who decides
The state Medicaid agency's disability unit
Ask your social worker
“Which option does this state have for a child with leukemia whose family is over the income limit: Katie Beckett, a buy-in, or SSI? Who on the team writes the medical application paperwork, and how soon can we file?”

How to apply

First step: Ask the hospital enrollment specialist which actual state Medicaid route fits and when to submit the required application.

  1. Ask which option the state runs for a child over income.
  2. File within two weeks while the medical evidence is fresh.
  3. Never drop a plan a buy-in requires.

Where it starts: The state's TEFRA, buy-in or SSI-linked application

What to gather

  • Pathology report and the oncologist's letter with the diagnosis date
  • The child's own accounts (most options test the child's money, not yours)
  • Pay stubs if the option charges a premium by income

How long: Up to 90 days by federal rule for a disability-based application. The state item says what is typical.

What a yes looks like

Medicaid behind your plan with a card, sometimes a premium notice, and a review date (often near the end of treatment).

What a no looks like, and the next move

“Over the child's savings”, “level of care not met” or “no such option here”. The letter names the test that failed, and each has its own appeal.

Watch out

  • The agency checks documented disability, the program's financial rules and any required care assessment separately. Do not assume a diagnosis satisfies every requirement.
  • The buy-in states (Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota, Texas) can require you to take an employer plan when the employer pays half the premium. Then the buy-in premium is often lower.
  • Spend-down (medically needy) is the last resort, not the first option.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 7, 2026.

What it is worth

Full Medicaid behind your plan, sometimes for a premium, in a family whose income is far above the ordinary line.

Covers: Full Medicaid benefit package · Home services through EPSDT and waivers once Medicaid is in place

Legal protection: Buy-in premiums and cost-sharing capped at 5% of income up to 200% FPL and 7.5% at 200–300%

What it costs the family: $0 in TEFRA states (Nevada excepted). A premium by income in buy-in states (Texas up to $230. Louisiana $0 to $35).

The eligibility facts, as published

State specific
yes
Non magi
yes
Disability standard
Where the route uses the SSI medical standard, documented acute leukemia is considered disabling for at least 24 months from diagnosis or relapse, or at least 12 months after transplant, whichever is later; financial and other program requirements still apply
Buy in ceiling
up to 300% FPL, state-selected
Employer plan rule
buy-in states may require enrollment in an employer plan that pays 50% or more of the dependent premium

Decisions this site cannot make: Child disability · Child's own finances (most options) · Level of care where the option requires it

Expect friction on: Medical packet · Separate agency desks

The trap: Separate requirements can include documented disability, financial eligibility and an assessment of care needs. Some routes count parental finances. Meeting one requirement does not establish eligibility.

What changes by state: Which option exists, whether there is a premium (buy-ins charge by income. Nevada charges for TEFRA), and the level-of-care standard.

Where I read this

← Back to your options