Hospital & Medical Cost in Arkansas (2026)

Hospital costs in Arkansas typically run $1,200–$3,000 for an uninsured moderate-acuity Level-3 ER visit, with ACA Medicaid expanded. Arkansas's combination of unique 'Arkansas Works' privately-administered Medicaid expansion waiver (one of the only such programs in the country), 2018 voter rejection of Issue 1 medical malpractice cap (preserving Arkansas as a no-cap state), $35.94/hr BLS RN mean (one of the lower 5 in the country), Little Rock (UAMS, Baptist, CHI St. Vincent) + Fayetteville (Mercy, Northwest Health) academic-and-system concentration, BCBS Arkansas / Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield dominant 75%+ commercial-insurance market share, and federal-No-Surprises-Act-only protection.

State Arkansas
Cities Covered 0
Typical uninsured moderate-acuity Level-3 ER visit $1,200 – $3,000
BLS Registered Nurse wage $35.94/hr

Arkansas payer mix, regulation & malpractice drivers

  • Surprise billing protection: Federal No Surprises Act only — no state-level supplement beyond NSA
  • Certificate of Need (CON) status: Extensive Certificate of Need — broad CON program covering hospitals, ASCs, imaging, and surgical capacity
  • Medicaid expansion status: ACA Medicaid expanded — coverage to 138% federal poverty level
  • Malpractice non-economic damages cap: No enforceable malpractice non-economic damages cap — no cap (Arkansas Constitution Amendment 80 + Issue 1 voter rejection 2018)
  • Hospital price transparency mandate: Federal CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule (45 CFR Part 180) only — no state-level supplement
  • Dominant health insurance market structure: BCBS-dominant — single Blue Cross Blue Shield carrier holds 50%+ commercial market share

Arkansas medical board & physician licensing

  • License status: Statewide license required
  • License board: Arkansas State Medical Board (ASMB) (official site)
  • Permit: Arkansas State Medical Board (ASMB) physician license required; DEA Schedule II-V registration; hospital privileging at UAMS and statewide hospital network; CON required through Arkansas Health Services Permit Agency (HSPA); Arkansas Works Section 1115 waiver Medicaid expansion through private market

How medical care costs vary in Arkansas

State-specific code or insurance rule: Arkansas operates a unique Section 1115 'Arkansas Works' Medicaid expansion waiver — one of the only privately-administered Medicaid expansion programs in the country, using federal Medicaid dollars to enroll the 100-138% FPL expansion population in private qualified health plans (QHPs) on the Arkansas marketplace rather than traditional fee-for-service Medicaid — and Arkansas voters rejected Issue 1 in 2018 which would have established a $500K non-economic damages cap for medical malpractice (preserving Arkansas as a no-cap state under Arkansas Constitution Amendment 80), plus Arkansas operates an extensive Certificate of Need program through the Arkansas Health Services Permit Agency (HSPA).

Cities in Arkansas

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