Alabama Medicaid Income Limits 2026: ALL Kids & Parents

For how Alabama compares with other states, see our national Medicaid income limits guide.

Alabama Medicaid and ALL Kids Income Limits by Household Size (February 2026)

Alabama uses just 2 Medicaid income lines for families: one for children under 19, pregnant women and Plan First, and one for parents and caretaker relatives. ALL Kids then picks up children above the Medicaid line. All of these figures took effect February 1, 2026.

Sources: Alabama Medicaid Agency, Form 208 Medicaid Eligibility Handout (01/26) (opens in a new tab), "Monthly Family Income Effective February 1, 2026," and ADPH's ALL Kids Monthly Income Guidelines Effective 2/1/2026 (opens in a new tab). Both Medicaid columns already include the 5% disregard. The ALL Kids percentages are Grantsights calculations from the dollar figures and the 2026 HHS guideline ($1,330 a month for one person).

Who's missing from the table: adults 19 to 64 who aren't pregnant, aren't raising a related child under 19 and don't have a disability. Alabama has no full-Medicaid group for them.

CMS tracks Alabama's choices too, though its numbers look smaller. The Medicaid.gov eligibility levels page (opens in a new tab), current to December 1, 2023, puts every Alabama child age band and pregnancy at 141%, separate CHIP at 312% and parents at 13%, and answers "No" on adult expansion. CMS reports the standards without the 5-point disregard; add it back and those become Alabama's 146%, 317% and 18%.

How Alabama Medicaid Counts Your Income

Alabama compares Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) with the limits above, and Form 208 says the 146% line "includes the 5% FPL disregard," worth about $114 a month for a family of three in 2026. The handout calls the figures "income after deductions," which means tax-style deductions come off before the comparison.

What that means for your application:

• Family size follows your tax return. Form 208 says the family size is "determined by counting those who are included in the federal income tax form," including people you expect to claim.
• Everyone in the family size counts. For children, that includes a legal parent's and stepparent's income when they're in the child's family size.
• The baby counts in pregnancy. Under 42 CFR 435.603 (opens in a new tab), a pregnant woman's household includes each expected child, so a pregnant woman living alone is a family of two.
• Report changes fast. Parent and caretaker members must report new income within 10 days of the first paycheck, according to Form 208.
• No asset test applies to MAGI groups: children, pregnant women, Plan First and parents.

Children under 19 get 12 months of continuous eligibility once approved, regardless of income changes, as long as they stay Alabama residents.

Alabama Medicaid for Seniors and People With Disabilities

Alabama's lowest aged, blind and disabled line is $1,014 a month for one person and $1,511 for a couple in 2026, which is the $994 SSI benefit rate plus SSA's $20 general exclusion, according to the Alabama Medicaid Agency's 2026 income limits. People in this group apply for SSI through the Social Security Administration, and SSI brings Medicaid with it.

Source: Alabama Medicaid Agency, Medicaid Income Limits for 2026 (opens in a new tab) (Form 207, handout dated 01/26). The $2,982 long-term care limit is 300% of the 2026 SSI rate.

Two things in that table are easy to miss:

• Medicare Savings Programs have no asset test in Alabama. The agency's 2026 handout says "the resource limits do not apply" to QMB, SLMB or QI-1. A retiree with savings well over $2,000 can still get Part B premium help.
• Couples are handled by the couple limit. If only one spouse has Medicare, the applying spouse must be under the individual limit and the couple's combined income under the couple limit, per the same handout.

Our SSI income limits guide and SSI benefits guide explain the federal rules behind the SSI line.

ALL Kids Premiums and Copays in 2026

ALL Kids premiums are charged once a year, not monthly: $52 per child in the low-fee group (capped at $156 per family) and $104 per child in the fee group (capped at $312), according to ADPH's ALL Kids premiums and copays page, updated October 5, 2026.

Sources: ADPH ALL Kids Income Guidelines (opens in a new tab) (effective 2/1/2026) and ALL Kids Premiums and Copays (opens in a new tab).

ALL Kids also caps total out-of-pocket spending, premiums and copays together, at 5% of the family's annual income. ADPH says it's the family's job to call when it's getting close, at 1-888-373-5437, and to send receipts. To qualify, a child must be under 19, uninsured, not eligible for Medicaid and not living in an institution.

Alabama and Medicaid Expansion: The Adult Coverage Gap

Alabama is among the 10 states that haven't adopted the ACA expansion, per KFF's tracker dated October 16, 2026. In an expansion state, a single adult earning up to about $1,835 a month (138% of poverty) would qualify. In Alabama, that same adult usually qualifies for nothing unless they're pregnant, disabled, 65 or older, or a parent under the $240 to $836 parent lines.

Marketplace premium tax credits start at 100% of poverty, and HealthCare.gov explains (opens in a new tab) that adults below that line in non-expansion states "fall into a gap." For one Alabama adult in 2026, that's anyone under $1,330 a month.

Grantsights calculation from Form 208 (February 2026) and the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines. Hourly examples assume 4.33 weeks a month. The children in every row still qualify for Medicaid or ALL Kids.

What about 2026 federal changes? The federal work requirement in the Federal Register rule of June 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab) applies to the expansion adult group, which Alabama doesn't have; states must start it by January 1, 2027. Separately, CMS's State Health Official letter SHO #26-001 (opens in a new tab) says federal funding for full Medicaid and CHIP ends for some lawfully present noncitizens, including refugees and asylees, starting October 1, 2026; emergency Medicaid continues. Alabama hadn't posted a consumer notice about that change when Grantsights checked.

Options for adults in the gap

• Plan First: family planning and birth control coverage for women 19 to 55 and vasectomy services for men 21 and older, using the same $1,942 a month line for one person.
• Community health centers: federally funded clinics charge on a sliding fee scale; find one through HRSA's health center locator (opens in a new tab).

Worked Examples: Alabama Families in 2026

For example, a family of three in Alabama earning $3,500 a month (two parents in Huntsville with a 10-year-old) works out like this:

1. The 10-year-old: the Medicaid line for three is $3,324, so she's $176 over. She moves to ALL Kids, and at $3,500 the family is in the low-fee band (up to $3,552), so the premium is $52 for the year.
2. The parents: the parent line for three is $410, so neither qualifies. At about 154% of poverty ($3,500 divided by $2,277), they can buy a Marketplace plan with a premium tax credit.

A pregnant woman in Mobile living with her partner counts as a household of three. On $3,200 a month, she's $124 under the $3,324 line and qualifies; Form 208 says her full coverage runs through 12 months postpartum, and coverage can start as early as 3 months before the application month. Her partner doesn't qualify.

One retiree in Montgomery, a 74-year-old widower with $1,400 a month in Social Security and $9,000 in savings, is over the $1,014 SSI line. He's also $50 over the QMB line of $1,350, but under SLMB's $1,616, so Medicaid would pay his Medicare Part B premium. His $9,000 doesn't matter, because Alabama's Medicare Savings Programs have no resource limit.

One family in rural Dallas County shows how tight the parent line is. Specifically, a single mother of two working 15 hours a week at $7.25 an hour earns about $471 a month, already $61 over the $410 limit for three. Her children stay on Medicaid up to $3,324.

What the Alabama Medicaid Agency Doesn't Tell You About These Limits

Grantsights analysis of the Alabama Medicaid Agency's 2026 handouts and ADPH's ALL Kids chart found 5 points the documents leave unsaid:

1. The parent line barely moves with a paycheck. At $410 a month for three, Alabama's parent limit is 18% of poverty with the disregard (13% without it, per Medicaid.gov). A child in that family stays on Medicaid up to $3,324, about 8.1 times the parent's limit, and on ALL Kids up to $7,218, about 17.6 times.
2. One line covers every child, but the ALL Kids ceiling is better than most. Alabama uses the same 146% line for babies, toddlers and teens. Many states, including Georgia and Mississippi, set higher lines for infants; Alabama's lower Medicaid line is offset by a much higher ALL Kids ceiling.
3. Plan First is the only coverage most childless adults can get, and it pays only for family planning. It shares the $1,942 line with children's Medicaid, which can make it look like full coverage on the chart.
4. The ALL Kids premium is yearly. It's $52 or $104 per child for the whole year, which works out to about $4.33 or $8.67 a month (a Grantsights calculation), and the family caps of $156 and $312 kick in at the third child.
5. The handouts use the February date, not January. Alabama's MAGI lines switched on February 1, 2026, about two weeks after HHS published the 2026 poverty guidelines. A paycheck from January was judged on the 2025 chart.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

A common mistake with Alabama's chart is assuming the $3,324 figure covers the whole family. It covers the children and a pregnant woman; the parents' own line is $410.

Other things that trip up applicants:

• Skipping ALL Kids. Children over the Medicaid line are screened for ALL Kids automatically, but families sometimes stop at the first denial letter. Read the whole notice.
• Using net pay. Use income before taxes, then subtract only tax-style deductions.
• Forgetting the unborn baby. A pregnant woman living alone has a $2,633 limit, not $1,942.
• Underestimating Medicare help. Seniors over the SSI line often still qualify for QMB, SLMB or QI-1, with no asset test.
• Missing the 10-day report. Form 208 asks parent and caretaker members to report new income within 10 days of the first paycheck.

Red flags for scams: an Alabama Medicaid or ALL Kids application costs nothing. A website or caller charging a fee to "process" your application, promising guaranteed approval, or asking for your card number by text isn't the Medicaid Agency or ADPH. Apply through official channels only.

How to Apply for Alabama Medicaid or ALL Kids and How Long It Takes

Federal rules at 42 CFR 435.912 (opens in a new tab) give Alabama up to 45 days to decide most applications and 90 days when the application is based on a disability.

1. Children, pregnant women, parents and Plan First: apply online at Insure Alabama (opens in a new tab), by mail (call 1-800-362-1504 for a paper application), or in person at a county health department, a federally qualified health center or some local hospitals. One application checks Medicaid and ALL Kids together.
2. Seniors and people with disabilities: apply for SSI with Social Security, or apply to the Alabama Medicaid Agency for nursing home, waiver or Medicare Savings Program coverage.
3. Have ready: pay stubs or other income proof, Social Security numbers, immigration documents if they apply, and information on any other insurance.
4. Ask about earlier months. Form 208 says coverage for children and pregnant women may begin as early as 3 months before the application month.
5. ALL Kids questions: call 1-888-373-5437.

What to Do If You're Denied

You have 60 days from the date the notice is mailed to request a fair hearing, and the request must be written and received by Medicaid within that window, according to Alabama Administrative Code Rule 560-X-3-.03 (amended effective July 26, 2018). The agency says it won't accept late requests.

• Keep coverage while you appeal: if Medicaid is ending your coverage and your request arrives within 10 days of the notice, benefits may continue until the hearing decision.
• Expect a decision within 90 days: Rule 560-X-3-.06 aims for final action within 60 days of the request and requires it within 90.
• Check the inputs: family size, the income Medicaid used, and the coverage group. A missed tax dependent changes the line you're compared with.

If You're Over the Alabama Medicaid Limit

$15,960 to $63,840 a year is the 2026 band where a single adult can get a Marketplace premium tax credit (100% to 400% of poverty), and Alabama uses the federal Marketplace at HealthCare.gov. Other help to check:

• Medicare: at 65, or after 24 months on Social Security disability, with QMB, SLMB or QI-1 up to $1,816 a month for one person.
• WIC: Alabama WIC can help during pregnancy and until a child turns 5; our WIC income limits guide has the numbers.
• Food help: our Alabama food stamps guide and SNAP income limits guide.
• Older Alabamians and people with disabilities: our help for seniors programs guide and disability grants for individuals guide.
• Where 146% and 317% come from: our federal poverty guidelines guide.
• Neighbors: compare Alabama with Georgia's Medicaid limits, Mississippi's, Florida's or Texas's.

Looking for help with food, rent or utility bills too? Grantsights' free eligibility checker suggests official programs to look at. It doesn't decide Medicaid eligibility and can't apply for you; only the state can make that decision.

When These Limits Change Next

Alabama's family limits changed on February 1, 2026, following the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines (opens in a new tab) of $15,960 for one person and $27,320 for three, published January 15, 2026. If Alabama follows its 2026 pattern, expect new MAGI lines in early 2027; the agency hadn't announced a date when Grantsights checked.

SSI-based figures (the $1,014 SSI line and the $2,982 long-term care limit) move every January 1 with Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment. The Medicare Savings Program lines in the 2026 handout carry a February 2026 effective date.

FAQ: Alabama Medicaid Income Limits

What is the income limit for Medicaid in Alabama in 2026?

$3,324 a month for children and pregnant women in a family of three; $410 for a parent.

Did Alabama expand Medicaid?

No. Alabama adults with no child at home, no pregnancy and no disability are generally shut out.

What is the ALL Kids income limit?

$7,218 a month for a family of three, about 317% of poverty.

What is the pregnancy income limit?

$2,633 a month for two and $3,324 for three, counting the unborn baby.

Can a single adult get Medicaid in Alabama?

Usually not; Plan First covers family planning only, up to $1,942 a month.

What is the nursing home income limit?

Alabama's nursing home line is $2,982 a month, and countable resources must stay at $2,000 or less.

Is there an asset test for Alabama's Medicare Savings Programs?

No. Alabama doesn't apply a resource limit to QMB, SLMB or QI-1.

When do the limits change?

Family limits changed February 1, 2026; SSI-based limits change each January 1.

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Sources

1. Alabama Medicaid Agency: Medicaid Income Limits for 2026 (opens in a new tab) (Form 207, 01/26; MAGI and Medicare Savings Program figures effective February 2026)
2. Alabama Medicaid Agency: Form 208 Medicaid Eligibility Handout (opens in a new tab), monthly family income effective February 1, 2026
3. ADPH: ALL Kids Monthly Income Guidelines (opens in a new tab), effective February 1, 2026
4. ADPH: ALL Kids Premiums and Copays (opens in a new tab), updated October 5, 2026, and Does Your Child Qualify? (opens in a new tab)
5. Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 3: Fair Hearings (opens in a new tab), Rules 560-X-3-.03 and 560-X-3-.06
6. Medicaid.gov state eligibility standards (opens in a new tab) (Alabama row, data as of December 1, 2023)
7. CMS: SHO #26-001, Implementation of Section 71109 "Alien Medicaid Eligibility" (opens in a new tab)
8. Federal Register interim final rule on Medicaid community engagement (opens in a new tab) (June 3, 2026; not applicable to any current Alabama group)
9. eCFR household rule, 42 CFR 435.603 (opens in a new tab), and timeliness rule, 42 CFR 435.912 (opens in a new tab)
10. HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
11. HealthCare.gov: what Medicaid expansion means for Alabama-style gaps (opens in a new tab)
12. HRSA: Find a Health Center (opens in a new tab)
13. KFF's state expansion status page (opens in a new tab), a non-government compilation dated October 16, 2026