Arkansas Health Insurance


Family & Individual Health Insurance
Short-term Health Insurance
Group /Small Business
Student Health Insurance
Medicare Supplement
Life Insurance


How healthy is living in Arkansas?

Arkansas was ranked in 2009 as the 40th healthiest state to live in, according to the United Health Foundation.

The good news:

  • The state's improved ranking was due in part to a decrease in the rate of preventable hospitalizations and a decrease in the rate of deaths from cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of smoking has also decreased by 3.6 percentage points – to 22.3 percent – in the past 10 years.

    The bad news:

    • The prevalence of obesity in Arkansas has risen 4.3 percentage points – to 29.5 percent – in the past five years.
    • Only three states had worse rankings for premature death.

    The state's best and worst category ratings:

    • Prevalence of binge drinking – 7th
    • Prevalence of obesity – 41st
    • Number of primary care physicians – 41st
    • Prenatal care – 41st
    • Prevalence of smoking – 43rd
    • Poor physical health days – 43rd
    • Infant mortality – 43rd
    • Preventable hospitalizations – 44th
    • Cardiovascular deaths – 44th
    • Cancer deaths – 45th
    • Occupational fatalities – 46th
    • Premature death – 47th

    See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Arkansas.


    Does Arkansas have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

    Thumbs up on offering a risk pool.; Arkansas Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan
    Toll-free 1-800-285-6477


    IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, Arkansas will offer health coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. To find out more about Arkansas's participation, click here.

    Risk pools are state-sponsored programs to help people with a history of medical problems in their family to purchase coverage. These pools are for people who can afford to buy health insurance, but are not able to get underwritten in the private market because of a pre-existing health condition. These programs can vary significantly from state to state in price, benefits and number of people served. Often insurance companies doing business in the state are required to contribute to the pool to keep it in the black. In the best cases, they allow people to be able to switch jobs or become self-employed without the fear of losing their health insurance coverage. Read more about risk pools here.


    Cover The Uninsured's guide on finding health insurance in Arkansas

    Cover The Uninsured is a national effort to highlight the fact that too many Americans are living without health insurance and to demand solutions from our nation's leaders. Read more information on its efforts. It is a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.


    Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Arkansas

    Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute has researched and written state-by-state guides for finding and keeping health insurance. It updates these guides as federal and state policies change. A number of non-profit organizations help fund its research. Learn more about the Health Policy Institute.

    Review Georgetown's guide for Arkansas.


    USNews health insurance rankings for Arkansas

    USNews logo US News does an annual ranking of what it considers the best health insurance plans in each state. Visit its reports on various health insurance or medical insurance plans being offered in Arkansas.


    Official State Goverment Sites with Arkansas Health Insurance Information

    Arkansas State Seal.;

    Arkansas Insurance Department Life and Health Division -- regulates life and health insurance in Arkansas.

    Arkansas Insurance Department Consumer Services Division -- regulates life and health insurance in Arkansas.

    Arkansas Senior Health Insurance Information Program -- regulates life and health insurance in Arkansas.

    ARKIDS 1ST -- provides two coverage options for more than 70,000 Arkansas children: ARKids A offers low-income families a comprehensive package of benefits; ARKids B provides coverage for families with higher incomes.

Arkansas Health Insurance News

State preparing to implement health care reform law

Arkansas News – The $940 billion health care reform bill signed into law last week by President Obama expands coverage to more than 32 million uninsured Americans. Some of its previsions take effect immediately, such as closing gaps in Medicare Part D coverage, banning lifetime limits on coverage and prohibiting insurers from dropping coverage because [...]

House votes to expand ARKids First

Baxter Bulletin – The Arkansas House voted Monday to add about 8,000 children to a low-income health insurance program, while the Senate voted to provide defibrillators to schools around the state, measures that will be funded by a recent hike in tobacco taxes. Click here to see Arkansas’ State Health Guide.

Read more Arkansas health insurance news & opinion

Arkansas Health Insurance Companies

Health insurance companies in Arkansas.
Get health plan pricing for these companies.

Aetna
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Celtic Ins. Co.
Golden Rule
Humana
Mercy Health Plans
QCA Health Plan Inc

Call Congress: Support Insurance Reform

Contact your federal officials. All Americans need your help to demand that Congress continue to support health care legislation that will make health insurance affordable and accessible to all Americans.
Senator Blanche Lincoln
PHONE: 202-224-4843 (DC office)
FAX: 202-228-1371 (DC office)
State offices
Contact by E-mail
Senator Mark Pryor
PHONE: 202-224-2353 (DC office)
FAX: 202-228-0908 (DC office)
State offices
Contact by E-mail

House Members
(follow link, then look for "Contact")

Need Help?
ZIP search

For state-level reform, contact:

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe
State Capitol Rm 250
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
PHONE: 501-682-2345
Contact by e-mail


Contact your Arkansas State Senator
Contact your Arkansas State Representative

Read more on Health Care Reform!


Health Insurance 101: learning center

Individual health insurance an overview for those without employer-sponsored plans

Health insurance scams: tips for defending yourself from insurance fraud

Private health insurance: background on the "American way" of paying for health care

Self-employed health insurance: how to get – and keep – your health coverage

Additional health care resources

Find licensed physicians near you. Each state is home to organizations that can help you find and research physicians, offering online information about a physician's license, schooling, practice information and more.

Arkansas Licensee Search
Arkansas State Medical Board

Other Arkansas Public Resources
Arkansas Medical Society