How to become a Medicaid provider in Arkansas
To bill Arkansas Medicaid, enroll through Arkansas Medicaid Health Care Provider Portal (MMIS provider enrollment), run by Gainwell Technologies. The process has 6 steps, listed below with the documents the state asks for.
- Enrollment portal
- Arkansas Medicaid Health Care Provider Portal (MMIS provider enrollment)
- Steps
- 6
- Documents
- 8
- Plans listed
- 4
On this page
Arkansas Medicaid enrollment at a glance
To bill Arkansas Medicaid, enroll through Arkansas Medicaid Health Care Provider Portal (MMIS provider enrollment), run by Gainwell Technologies. The process has 6 steps, listed below with the documents the state asks for.
- Program
- Arkansas Medicaid
- Fiscal agent
- Gainwell Technologies (Medicaid Provider Enrollment Unit for the Division of Medical Services)
- Application fee
- Arkansas collects the fee only from the provider types on its ACA-fee list; it is payable once every five years. Individual practitioners and groups of individual practitioners (physician, dental, therapy groups) do not pay, nor do providers that already paid Medicare or another state's Medicaid. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.460): the state must collect the CMS application fee from institutional providers that are newly enrolling or re-enrolling; individual physicians and non-physician practitioners are exempt, as are providers already enrolled in (or that already paid the fee to) Medicare or another state's Medicaid/CHIP. CMS set the fee at $750 for calendar year 2026.
- Fingerprinting
- Arkansas requires fingerprint checks for all high-risk providers and their 5%+ owners (provider manual section 141.103) and notifies applicants by letter with instructions. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.434, 455.450(c)): providers the state places in the 'high' categorical risk level, and anyone owning 5% or more of such a provider, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
- Site visit
- Federal rule (42 CFR 455.432, 455.450(b)-(c)): the state must do site visits before and after enrollment for providers in the 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels, and any enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections.
- Revalidation
- Arkansas requires all providers to revalidate every five years; the portal mails notices ahead of the due date and the state asks for revalidations at least 60 days early. Licenses and certifications must also be resubmitted each year. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.
- Provider manual
- Provider manual
Steps
- Look up required attachments for the provider type in the Required Documents Finder
- Start an electronic application in the Health Care Provider Portal (required for initial applications except skilled nursing facilities, which file on paper)
- Upload only the required documents and sign (individuals sign their own; groups through an owner or managing employee listed on the ownership disclosure)
- Pay the ACA application fee if the provider type is on the fee list
- Complete fingerprinting if notified as high risk
- Track status with the assigned tracking number; once enrolled, contract separately with each PASSE to serve PASSE members
Documents the state asks for
Joining managed-care plan networks
- Credentialing
- Arkansas's managed care program for people with high behavioral health or I/DD needs is the PASSE (Provider-led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity). Providers must enroll with Arkansas Medicaid first, then enroll separately with each PASSE they want to contract with, each with its own network, policies and provider manual. DHS describes no shared or centralized credentialing. Centralized credentialing: no.
- Plans (state list)
- Arkansas Total Care
- CareSource PASSE
- Empower Healthcare Solutions
- Summit Community Care
Frequently asked questions
How do I become a Medicaid provider in Arkansas?
To bill Arkansas Medicaid, enroll through Arkansas Medicaid Health Care Provider Portal (MMIS provider enrollment), run by Gainwell Technologies. The process has 6 steps, listed below with the documents the state asks for.
Is there an application fee to enroll in Arkansas Medicaid?
Arkansas collects the fee only from the provider types on its ACA-fee list; it is payable once every five years. Individual practitioners and groups of individual practitioners (physician, dental, therapy groups) do not pay, nor do providers that already paid Medicare or another state's Medicaid. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.460): the state must collect the CMS application fee from institutional providers that are newly enrolling or re-enrolling; individual physicians and non-physician practitioners are exempt, as are providers already enrolled in (or that already paid the fee to) Medicare or another state's Medicaid/CHIP. CMS set the fee at $750 for calendar year 2026.
How often must Arkansas Medicaid providers revalidate?
Arkansas requires all providers to revalidate every five years; the portal mails notices ahead of the due date and the state asks for revalidations at least 60 days early. Licenses and certifications must also be resubmitted each year. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.