Verified October 10, 2026 against the statutes, regulations and sources cited below. General information, not legal advice. All states
What providers miss in Arkansas
- The any willing provider law is one of the few that reaches nearly every licensed provider type, so a "panel closed" answer from an insured plan may conflict with it.
- Non-physician providers wait up to 180 days for a decision, three times the physician deadline.
- Medicaid managed care runs through PASSE plans for members with behavioral health or developmental disability needs; the PASSE Ombudsman takes provider questions about PASSE enrollment.
Does Arkansas have an any willing provider law?
Insurers may not bar a listed provider type willing to accept the plan's terms, fees, utilization rules and quality standards from participating. The list runs from physicians and hospitals to counselors, social workers, therapists and chiropractors. Self-insured plans are covered only as far as ERISA allows.
- Any willing provider law
Citation: Ark. Code Ann. §§ 23-99-204(a)(3), 23-99-802; Ark. Code R. 054.00.06-007
How long can a plan take to credential a provider in Arkansas?
Insurers must decide within 60 calendar days of a completed application from a physician and 180 days from any other provider. They must acknowledge receipt within 10 days and flag an incomplete application within 15 days or it is deemed complete.
- Deadline: 60 days
- Applies to: All health insurers including HMOs; 60 days for physicians, 180 days for other providers
Citation: Ark. Code Ann. § 23-99-411(a)(2)
What network adequacy rules apply in Arkansas?
Carriers file access plans and are judged on provider-to-member ratios by specialty, geographic access, appointment wait times and hours. They report the share of members within set times and distances, such as 30 minutes or 30 miles of a family doctor, by county.
Citation: Ark. Code R. 003.22.21-004 (formerly Rule 106)
Written reasons for a participation denial
Insurers must give a provider a written statement of reasons when they deny a request for initial participation or renewal, and must promptly report delays and the reasons for them.
Citation: Ark. Code Ann. § 23-99-411(a)(1)(B), (a)(4)
Payment back to the application date for physicians
Once a physician is approved, the insurer must treat the physician as participating for payment purposes from the date the completed application was submitted.
Citation: Ark. Code Ann. § 23-99-411(a)(6)
Will the Arkansas insurance department take a provider complaint?
- Arkansas Insurance Department
Who oversees Medicaid managed care plans in Arkansas?
- Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services
Turned down by a plan in Arkansas?
We read the denial, check which of these rules reach that plan, and prepare the reconsideration request, the access-gap evidence and any regulator complaint the law supports; you sign and send them, and we track every deadline. Self-funded employer plans follow federal law, not Arkansas's. A rejection review is $249, credited toward a dispute.