Medicaid Authorized Representative Arkansas: How to Apply for Your Parent

You have your parent's durable power of attorney, you have gathered all their financial documents, and you walk into the DHS county office to file the ARChoices in Homecare waiver application. The caseworker tells you that before they can discuss your parent's case or accept the application from you, you need to file a specific authorized representative form — even though you already hold a valid POA.

This is not the caseworker being difficult. Arkansas DHS requires its own designation process before they will share case information or accept filings from anyone other than the applicant.

What the Authorized Representative Does

Designating an authorized representative through DHS gives you the authority to:

• Submit the Medicaid or ARChoices application on your parent's behalf
• View confidential case information, including eligibility status and benefit details
• Communicate directly with the DHS caseworker assigned to your parent's case
• Receive notices and correspondence about your parent's benefits
• Respond to requests for additional documentation

Without this designation, the DHS county office cannot legally disclose your parent's case information to you — even if you hold a valid power of attorney. The POA gives you the underlying legal authority, but the DHS form is the administrative mechanism that activates access within their system.

How to File Form DCO-153

The Arkansas DHS Form DCO-153 (Consent for an Authorized Representative) is a straightforward one-page form. To complete it:

1. Enter your parent's name and identifying information as the applicant
2. Enter your name, address, and relationship as the authorized representative
3. Your parent signs the form (or you sign as their legal agent under the POA, attaching a copy of the POA)
4. Submit the completed form to the DHS Division of County Operations office in your parent's county

File DCO-153 at the same time you submit the initial Medicaid application (Form DHS-1000 or the online application through Access.Arkansas.gov). Filing both together prevents the processing delay of having your application accepted but your representative status pending.

The Application Process

Once designated, you can manage the entire Medicaid application on your parent's behalf. The ARChoices or long-term care Medicaid application requires:

• Financial documentation for the past 60 months: Bank statements for every account, investment statements, property deeds, vehicle titles, life insurance policies, and retirement account records
• Income verification: Social Security award letters, pension statements, annuity payments, and any other income sources
• Identity documents: Social Security card, state photo ID, and birth certificate
• Medical documentation: Physician certifications of the need for care and any existing diagnoses

The 60-month documentation requirement is the most burdensome part — it covers the full Medicaid lookback period. Missing even one month of bank statements can delay the application by weeks while the caseworker requests supplemental records.

Submitting the Application

You can submit the Medicaid application through three channels:

1. Online: Access.Arkansas.gov — fastest processing
2. By phone: 1-855-372-1084
3. In person: At the local DHS county office

For ARChoices specifically, you will also need to coordinate with the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) to schedule the functional assessment (ARIA evaluation) that determines whether your parent meets the intermediate level of care standard.

Common Timing Mistakes

Filing the representative form after the application. If you submit the Medicaid application but the DCO-153 is not yet on file, the caseworker cannot contact you about missing documents or questions. File both on the same day.

Assuming the POA is enough. The POA gives you the legal right to act on your parent's behalf. The DCO-153 gives DHS the administrative authorization to communicate with you. You need both.

Not designating an alternate. If you travel, get sick, or are temporarily unavailable, no one else can communicate with DHS about your parent's case. Consider designating a second authorized representative (a spouse or sibling) as backup.

The Arkansas Power of Attorney & Guardianship Kit for Aging Parents covers the full Medicaid application chain — the underlying POA with Medicaid-specific hot powers, the DCO-153 authorized representative form, and the Miller Trust requirements for parents whose income exceeds the $2,982 monthly cap.

See more Arkansas guides →