Federal Block Grant Award Summary

The Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services received a $209.7 million block grant award from the Centers for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) for Medicaid Entitlement for FY 2026 (CFDA 93.767 – Children's Health Insurance Program). The award, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027, supports the state's administration of health insurance coverage for low-income children and, at state option, pregnant women across Arkansas. The Division delivers critical services including healthcare coverage administration, eligibility determination, claims processing, and medical assistance to ensure uninsured and low-income children under 19 years of age maintain access to essential healthcare services.

As Arkansas's designated state Medicaid agency, the Division of Medical Services leverages this federal-state matching funding to maintain and expand child health assistance programs through its combined Medicaid and CHIP operational structure. The organization implements targeted enrollment, retention, and outreach strategies to reduce the number of uninsured children in the state while ensuring compliance with federal record-keeping and performance monitoring requirements. This funding represents part of the Division's broader FY 2026 Medicaid portfolio, which totaled approximately $1.68 billion in federal block grant awards for comprehensive state healthcare administration.