Arkansas maintains a state health benefits risk pool, called the Arkansas Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool (CHIP) to provide insurance for eligible residents of Arkansas.
When can I get coverage from CHIP?
- You can buy an individual health insurance policy from CHIP if you have lived in Arkansas for at least 90 days and can demonstrate proof of eligibility. To be eligible, you must have been turned for an individual health insurance policy by an insurance company or were offered a policy by an insurance company at a rate at least 50% greater than that of a CHIP premium for a comparable policy. In addition, you must not be enrolled in or eligible for Medicaid or Medicare.
- In addition, if you are HIPAA eligible, you can buy health insurance from CHIP.
To be HIPAA eligible, you must meet certain criteria
No matter where you live in the U.S., if you are HIPAA eligible you are guaranteed the right to buy individual health insurance of some kind. In Arkansas, you are guaranteed the right to buy coverage only from CHIP. To be HIPAA eligible, you must meet all of the following:
- You must have had 18 months of continuous creditable coverage, at least the last day of which was under a group health plan.
- You also must have used up any COBRA or state continuation coverage for which you were eligible.
- You must not be eligible for Medicare, Medicaid or a group health plan.
- You must not have health insurance. (Note, however, if you know your group coverage is about to end, you can apply for coverage for which you will be HIPAA eligible.)
- You must apply for health insurance for which you are HIPAA eligible within 63 days of losing your prior coverage.
HIPAA eligibility ends when you enroll in an individual plan, because the last day of your continuous health coverage must have been in a group plan. You can become HIPAA eligible again by maintaining continuous coverage and rejoining a group health plan.
- If you are eligible for the Federal Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) through the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Act, you must be guaranteed access to CHIP (see page 30).
- CHIP only offers individual coverage, so each member of your family needs to qualify on his or her own for a CHIP policy.
