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Fixed Indemnity Insurance in Arkansas

Fixed indemnity pays a set cash amount per covered event or hospital day regardless of the bill, a supplement to health insurance rather than a replacement for it. Arkansas requires hospital indemnity to pay at least $80 a day for at least 31 days, plus a mandatory outline of coverage.

At a glance

Fixed indemnity is available in Arkansas as a supplemental, limited-benefit product, but Arkansas sets specific minimum-benefit and disclosure requirements on it.
Hospital confinement indemnity must pay at least $80 per day for at least 31 days per confinement (AR Insurance Rule 18 s.7(D)), with additional minimums for riders, nursing-home, and ICU benefits, plus a mandatory Outline of Coverage and a 10-day free look.
It pays a fixed cash amount per covered event or day, regardless of your actual costs — it doesn't work like major medical.
It's not ACA minimum essential coverage and not a substitute for a comprehensive plan. Arkansas runs a State-Based Exchange on the Federal Platform (you enroll via HealthCare.gov) and has expanded Medicaid through its "Arkansas Works" private-option model.

What Arkansas requires

Arkansas permits fixed indemnity as a supplemental, limited-benefit product, but it layers specific requirements on these plans. A hospital confinement indemnity policy must pay at least $80 per day for at least 31 days per confinement (AR Insurance Rule 18 s.7(D), also codified at 23 CAR 86-304). Related minimums apply as well: any rider form must pay at least $15 per day, nursing-home benefits at least $45 per day, and intensive-care (ICU) benefits at least $150 per day. Every such policy must come with a mandatory Outline of Coverage (Rule 18 s.8) so you can see exactly what the plan does and does not pay, and you get a 10-day free look to review the policy after you receive it.

Because fixed indemnity is an excepted benefit, it sits outside ACA rules. At the federal level, a 2024 fixed-indemnity consumer-notice requirement was vacated by a court in December 2024, so it is not federally required; an earlier 2014 individual-market notice still applies. Arkansas did not adopt the 2024 federal fixed-indemnity consumer-notice — the Arkansas Insurance Department's bulletin index (reviewed through 2026) shows no FI-notice bulletin, though AR did issue the sibling short-term limited-duration bulletin (Bulletin 14-2025).

The core thing to understand is how it pays: fixed indemnity pays a predetermined cash amount when a covered event happens — no matter what your treatment actually costs. That's very different from major medical, which pays a share of your actual bills.

How fixed indemnity works in Arkansas

Fixed indemnity and related excepted benefits come in a few forms (described as coverage types, not specific products):

Hospital indemnity — pays a fixed amount per hospital stay or per day admitted; in Arkansas it must meet the state's per-day minimums.
Accident coverage — pays fixed amounts for specified injuries or accident-related care.
Specified-disease or critical-illness coverage — pays a fixed benefit if you're diagnosed with a covered condition.

Each pays a fixed cash benefit you can use toward bills, deductibles, or everyday costs during a covered event. Arkansas requires a mandatory Outline of Coverage with these policies and gives you a 10-day free look, so read that document closely and use the review window. As an independent, carrier-neutral brokerage, we don't push any single insurer — and we'll be clear that fixed indemnity works best alongside a comprehensive plan, not instead of one.

How to get coverage here

Fixed indemnity isn't sold through the health insurance marketplace, and it isn't tied to Open Enrollment — you can generally apply for it year-round, directly from an insurer or through a broker, subject to the product's terms and Arkansas's requirements.

For the comprehensive coverage that fixed indemnity is meant to supplement, Arkansas runs a State-Based Exchange on the Federal Platform (the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace), so you enroll in ACA plans through HealthCare.gov (annual Open Enrollment in the fall through early winter, plus Special Enrollment Periods for qualifying life events). Arkansas has expanded Medicaid through its "Arkansas Works" private-option model, so it's worth checking your eligibility there as well.

What it costs

We don't quote premiums here — prices depend on your situation — but the cost of fixed indemnity in Arkansas is driven by:

The benefit amounts you choose — higher fixed payouts cost more; Arkansas's per-day minimums set a floor for hospital indemnity, but the level above that is up to you.
The type of product — hospital indemnity, accident, or specified-disease coverage.
Your age — older applicants generally pay more.
Who's covered — an individual or a family.
Any riders or add-ons you select.

Because fixed indemnity pays fixed amounts rather than a share of your bills, use the required Outline of Coverage to compare exactly what a plan pays — and remember it's supplemental, so weigh it alongside the cost of the comprehensive coverage it's meant to support.

MG Matthew T. Giberti Licensed Expert · NPN 20698856 · Updated July 2026

Fixed indemnity insurance is a supplemental, limited-benefit (excepted-benefit) product. It pays fixed cash amounts for covered events regardless of your actual medical costs, is not major medical coverage, and is not minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act. It does not cover the full range of essential health benefits and is not a substitute for a comprehensive health plan.

GetHealthPlans.com is operated by MTG Insurance Agency, an independent, carrier-neutral brokerage. We do not issue insurance and are not a government agency or the health insurance marketplace. Regulatory details on this page reflect Arkansas law and Arkansas Insurance Department guidance as of the last-reviewed date and can change; confirm current terms and the specific product's approved form before you enroll.