Financial Resources
Hark
Help for When Life Happens
"Hark has helped thousands of Northwest Arkansas residents connect to vital community resources and services in those moments “when life happens”. Hark builds its clients detailed, customized, and confidential resource plans based on its comprehensive, constantly-updated resource map of the region. Hark then follows up to ensure that clients are able to actually connect to the resources they need. And all of Hark’s services are free to the individuals and families it serves. Hark is a division of Endeavor Foundation, a non-profit community foundation serving Northwest Arkansas.
Your "Connector" will build you an individualized client plan consisting of the resources you need as well as access to multiple financial assistance programs, including their own, the Catalyst Fund. They can even text or email your plan directly to your smart device!"
For more information visit: https://www.harknwa.com/
Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA):
TEFRA is a Medicaid program that can help families with children younger than 19 years old who have a disability receive care. The TEFRA program can help pay for the cost of services for eligible children, such as therapy services and adaptive equipment. Some families will not have to pay anything as part of the program. Parents whose annual income exceeds $25,000 will be required to pay a monthly premium on a sliding scale to participate in the program.
Approval for the TEFRA program is based on Financial Eligibility and a Medical Evaluation Process to determine if all of the three requirements below are met:
1) A child must meet the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) definition of disabled. If SSA has not established a disability, then a Medical Review Team will review your child’s medical records to establish whether your child has a disability.
2) Must meet Medical Necessity and Appropriateness of Care Requirements: Medical necessity is based on the child's need for services that improve or maintain their health or prevent the child’s health from getting worse; and/or the child having a medical condition that requires institutional placement in a hospital or similar center.
3) Child must meet the Financial Requirements: The child cannot have personal income that exceeds the Long Term Care Medicaid limit, which is three times the SSI income limit and can change each year. The child cannot have countable resources that exceed $2,000, such as cash on hand, bank accounts, vehicles, etc. Parental income and resources are not considered.
If you need help or have questions, click here or call: 1-855-372-1084.
You can download a TEFRA Packet here. If you have any questions about the application, you may contact the Washington County DHS office at 479-521-1270 or 479-442-4029.
Early Intervention (EI):
First Connections is an Arkansas network of home and community based Early Intervention. It is a state-funded program to assist infants and toddlers birth to age three with certain levels of developmental delay or a diagnosed condition likely to result in developmental delay. Participation in early intervention is at no cost to families with an eligible infant or toddler.
For more information visit: First Connections Or call: (800) 643-8258.
Department of Developmental Services Waiver (DDS Waiver):
This program provides a respite to parents with disabled children. The DDS Waiver Services section provides a variety of community-based services to eligible individuals in addition to the management, policy development, planning and administration of the Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver.
Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver Services are available to a limited number of individuals as an alternative to ICF/IDD placement. Under this waiver, individuals may receive services such as Care Coordination, Supported Living Services, Non-Medical Transportation, Adaptive Equipment, Environmental Modifications, Supplemental Support Services, Consultation Services, and Crisis Intervention Services, through DDS licensed community providers.
To apply for Children's services, call 501-682-2277
To apply for Adult services, call 501-683-5687
ConnectCare
ConnectCare can help you find a doctor/PCP or dentist for you and your family, or change your doctor/PCP, if you are on Arkansas Medicaid or your child is on ArKids First.
View the interactive list of doctors in each county who see Medicaid patients. AFMC makes every effort to provide the most current information. Primary Care Providers change locations and this may not be reflected in the city and county listed.
To assign PCP call 1-800-285-1131, for more information, click here.
Access Arkansas
Access Arkansas is an online service provided by the Arkansas Department of Human Services(DHS). The Access Arkansas web site supports three primary functions for the citizens of the state of Arkansas.
1) The anonymous screening of potential eligibility for 20 DHS managed benefit programs
2) The submission of online benefit program applications for the following Arkansas DHS managed programs:
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - Assistance buying food
Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) - provides case management services to assist families with children under 18 years old with finding employment.
Pregnant Women Medicaid - Health coverage for women over age 19 who are pregnant
Arkansas Works Program - Health care coverage for adults ages 19-64
Medicare Savings Program - Provides help with paying Medicare premiums
3) Provide participants with online access to application and program status details, and the ability to perform updates to program beneficiary information.
To find out if your household might be eligible for benefits, click here.