AHCCCS

Frequently Asked Questions

No. AHCCCS has no resource limit.

Yes. If your family's income is low enough for you to qualify for AHCCCS, you may do so even if your job offers insurance.

Note: If your job offers you affordable insurance, you and your family cannot get subsidies for purchasing an individual health plan through Healthcare.gov.

In most cases, no. The actual medical coverage you get from AHCCCS will be the same, no matter how you qualified. Generally speaking, the big difference is that people with disabilities get extra ways to qualify and if you have a disability and start working, you can earn more while still getting AHCCCS coverage.

DB101 has four articles about different ways to get AHCCCS:

  • The AHCCCS article explains the most common way to qualify, which does not require you to have a disability.
  • The AHCCCS for People with Disabilities article explains a common way for people with disabilities who have low incomes to qualify.
  • The AHCCCS Freedom to Work article explains a way that people with disabilities who work can get AHCCCS coverage by paying a premium.
  • The SSI article explains how people with disabilities may qualify for AHCCCS automatically if they qualify for SSI.

If you are not sure how you qualified for AHCCCS, you can ask your local DES/Family Assistance Administration office.

No. AHCCCS is available to many people. To get AHCCCS, most people must:

  • Be under 65 years old
    • You can be 65 or older if you are the parent or caretaker of a child
  • Not be eligible for Medicare
    • You can be on Medicare if you are the parent or caretaker of a child or are pregnant
  • Be a U.S. citizen or meet specific noncitizen requirements, and
  • Have income below certain limits

There are additional ways to get AHCCCS if you have a disability or are a senior. When you apply for AHCCCS, the person reviewing your application will figure out which type of AHCCCS is best for you.

Note: Some people who do not qualify for most AHCCCS benefits, such as undocumented immigrants, may qualify for coverage in emergencies only.

You and your family can usually get AHCCCS (AHCCCS) if your family's income is at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) ($17,774 for an individual in 2021, $36,570 for a family of four). Children 18 years old or young can get AHCCCS KidsCare coverage if their family's income is 205% of FPG or less ($54,325 per year or less for a family of four).

You may see the income limit for AHCCCS listed as 133% of FPL in some places. However, when AHCCCS counts your income, they'll knock 5% of FPL off your income if you make more than 133% of FPL. That's why we show the limit as 138% of FPL, because it more accurately shows how much you could make and still get AHCCCS.

Income-based AHCCCS counts most types of earned and unearned income you have. However, some income is not counted, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and some contributions to retirement accounts. Learn more about what types of income affect income-based AHCCCS eligibility.

Note: The income limits may be different if you have a disability. Read DB101's article about AHCCCS for People with Disabilities.

Health Coverage Income Limits for Your Family

Your family size:

Annual income limits for your family:
$12,880
$4,540
$12,760
$4,480
Income-based AHCCCS (138% FPG)
AHCCCS KidsCare (205% FPG)
Subsidized private plans, reduced fees (250% FPG)
Subsidized private plans (no income limit) --

If your family's income is at or below the limit for a program, you may qualify if you meet other program rules.

No. You can continue to get the AHCCCS benefits you currently get.

No. Most of the rules are the same, though the income limits are slightly higher for some small children. There is a separate program called AHCCCS KidsCare that you may have heard of. It is for children, but no new children are being accepted into this program. If your children are in this program, you may keep them in it as long as you pay the monthly premium on time. If your children are not in it, they cannot join it and standard AHCCCS is your best public health coverage option.

Health-e-Arizona is the easiest way to apply for AHCCCS if you think you might qualify. Health-e-Arizona also lets you apply for other benefits, like Nutrition Assistance (formerly Food Stamps), at the same time.

Healthcare.gov is a good option if you don't think you will qualify for AHCCCS, because it will also check and see if you can get private coverage with subsidies.

The bottom line: Both systems will help you find the benefits you need. The big difference is that, depending on your situation, one might be a bit faster than the other.

Learn more