Illinois Medicaid Income Limits 2026: All Kids, AABD

Applying is free, and Medicaid is health coverage, not a cash grant. To compare Illinois with other states, see our national Medicaid income limits guide.

Illinois Medicaid Income Limits by Household Size (2026)

Illinois publishes 4 main MAGI income standards for families, and they're printed in one IDHS chart, the Workers' Action Guide's 2026 Family Health Plans table. According to the IDHS 2026 income standards data, one adult can earn up to $1,835 a month, while a child in a four-person family qualifies up to $8,745. HFS runs the Medicaid program; IDHS caseworkers decide eligibility using that chart. Every figure is gross monthly income, before taxes, and the percentages already include the 5% disregard.

Source: IDHS WAG 25-03-02 (2), 2026 Family Health Plans Monthly Income Standards (opens in a new tab). According to IDHS Manual Release 26.11 (opens in a new tab), the revised standards are effective January 1, 2026, were loaded for active cases effective April 2026, and apply to pending applications for any budget month from January 2026. Moms & Babies has no one-person column because a pregnant person always counts at least herself and the expected baby.

\ Children and pregnant people over their limit can still qualify through spenddown, where medical bills bring countable income down to this much lower standard. Manual Release 26.11 says children and pregnant women who qualify for spenddown spend down to the Family Health Spenddown standard.*

Yearly equivalents for adults and children

Grantsights multiplied the IDHS monthly standards by 12. IDHS publishes the limits monthly; small differences from yearly charts elsewhere come from rounding.

Seniors, disability and long-term care limits

Illinois doesn't use the MAGI chart for people who qualify by being 65 or older, blind or disabled. That group is AABD Medical (Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled), and IDHS lists its 2026 standards in the same Workers' Action Guide table.

Source: IDHS WAG 25-03-02 (2), AABD Medical/Medicare Savings Programs/HBWD 2026 Monthly Income Standards and Resources (opens in a new tab). IDHS lists larger AABD households too: $2,276 for three and $2,750 for four, plus $473 per extra person.

People who get SSI qualify for Illinois Medicaid without a separate income test. The same IDHS table lists the 2026 SSI rate at $994 for one person and $1,491 for a couple, which matches the federal rate.

How Illinois Counts Your Income

Illinois runs 2 income-counting systems, and the right one depends on why you qualify.

MAGI rules apply to ACA Adults and all the Family Health Plans, including All Kids, FamilyCare and Moms & Babies, according to IDHS Policy Manual 15-06-01 (opens in a new tab). Income follows the federal tax definition: wages, net self-employment profit, unemployment pay and taxable Social Security count, while child support you receive and SSI don't. Your household follows tax filing, so it's usually you, a spouse and anyone you claim as a dependent. Family Health Plans and ACA Adults have no asset test; the IDHS resources table notes that resources aren't considered for them.

The 5% disregard is already built into the chart. The adult percentage in federal law is 133%, and adding 5% gives the 138% that IDHS prints. The Medicaid.gov eligibility levels table (opens in a new tab) (as of December 1, 2023) shows the base percentages before the disregard: 133% for parents and expansion adults, 313% for children and 208% for pregnant women. Add 5 to each and you get the IDHS figures.

Non-MAGI rules apply to AABD Medical, nursing home care and the Medicare savings programs. These use SSI-style counting. Under IDHS Policy Manual 15-04-03-a (opens in a new tab), the first $25 of earned or unearned income (other than SSI) is exempt, and the AABD figures above don't include that $25. Assets count, too.

For example, a family of three in Illinois earning $3,400 a month gross (a single mom, a 6-year-old and a 10-year-old) gets split answers. The mom is specifically $259 over the $3,141 FamilyCare limit for three, so she doesn't qualify on that income. Both kids qualify for All Kids, since $3,400 is far below the $7,239 limit for three. If the mom becomes pregnant, the household counts as four for Moms & Babies, and $3,400 is well under the $5,857 limit. According to the HFS Moms & Babies program guide, coverage then runs through the pregnancy and up to 12 months after the birth. Until then, she'd shop for coverage on Get Covered Illinois.

Illinois Medicaid Asset Limits

$17,500 is the AABD Medical asset limit for one person and for two, according to the IDHS resources table in the 2026 Workers' Action Guide data, which is far higher than the $2,000 used in many states. Adults, parents, children and pregnant people on MAGI coverage face no asset test at all.

The other asset figures in the IDHS table:

• Medicare savings programs (QMB, SLIB, QI-1): $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for two in 2026.
• HBWD (workers with disabilities): $25,000.
• AABD cash (a different program from AABD Medical): $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for two. Don't confuse this cash limit with the medical one.

Going over the asset limit doesn't automatically mean a denial. IDHS Policy Manual 15-04-01 (opens in a new tab) says that when nonexempt resources exceed the limit, the case can be enrolled in spenddown, and excess resources don't have to be reduced to the limit for the person to qualify.

Long-term care. IDHS Policy Manual 15-04-04 (opens in a new tab) uses a two-step process for nursing home and Supportive Living residents. First, income minus the $25 exemption is compared to the $1,330 AABD standard; if it's higher, the person is a spenddown case, and the expected nursing home charges for the month can meet the spenddown. Second, IDHS figures what the resident pays the facility. Under Policy Manual 15-06-02-b (opens in a new tab), a nursing home resident keeps a $60 monthly personal needs allowance, and a Supportive Living Program resident keeps $120 plus room and board.

Spouse at home. According to IDHS Manual Release 26.05 (opens in a new tab), effective January 1, 2026, the community spouse can keep income up to $4,066.50 a month and resources up to $143,172. The IDHS table sets the 2026 home equity limit at $752,000. Transfers of money or property for less than fair market value can delay long-term care coverage, so a family planning ahead should talk with a legal aid office or an elder law attorney before moving assets.

Expansion vs Non-Expansion: Illinois in 2026

Illinois expanded Medicaid, so 138% of poverty covers adults 19 to 64 whether or not they have children. Illinois also sets its parent and caretaker limit (FamilyCare) at the same 138%, so a working parent and a childless adult face the same dollar line. In a non-expansion state, adults without children often can't qualify at any income; our Texas Medicaid income limits guide shows that gap. Guides for neighboring states cover Indiana, Missouri, Michigan and Ohio.

What changes on January 1, 2027. HFS's Phase Two HR 1 stakeholder toolkit (opens in a new tab) (August 2026) describes these federal changes:

• Work requirement for ACA Adults. Starting January 1, 2027, many ACA Adults must work, volunteer, join a work program or go to school at least half time for 80 hours a month, or have income of at least $580 a month. In Illinois, you must meet it for at least one month during the six months before your redetermination, starting with your first 2027 redetermination.
• Renewals every 6 months for ACA Adults from January 1, 2027, instead of once a year.
• Retroactive coverage. Federal law cuts it from 3 months to 2 (1 for ACA Adults), but HFS says it'll give 2 months of retroactive coverage to all eligible applicants. The current IDHS backdating rule (opens in a new tab) still allows up to 3 months.
• Who it doesn't reach. HFS says most parents and caretaker relatives in Illinois are in Family Health Plans, not the ACA Adult group, so they aren't subject to the requirement. Exemptions also cover people who are medically frail; pregnant or within 12 months postpartum; in drug or alcohol treatment; caring for a child under 14 or a person with a disability; veterans rated totally disabled; people meeting SNAP or TANF work rules; American Indians and Alaska Natives; former foster youth under 26; and people released from incarceration in the last 3 months.
• HFS mailed the first notices to affected members in early September 2026.

Already in effect: noncitizen changes. An HFS notice dated July 6, 2026 (CN 26.27 (opens in a new tab)) says federal law ended Medicaid for many noncitizens on October 1, 2026. Groups that keep coverage include lawful permanent residents who've met or are exempt from the 5-year bar, Cuban/Haitian entrants, COFA migrants, children under 19 (All Kids), pregnant people (Moms & Babies), people with 40 qualifying work quarters or military ties, and people already enrolled in Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS).

State-funded immigrant programs. According to IDHS Manual Release 25.40 (opens in a new tab), Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA), which covered ages 42 to 64, ended July 1, 2025. HBIS, for people 65 and older, continues for people already enrolled, but new enrollment has been paused since November 6, 2023. Grantsights found no official notice reopening HBIS enrollment as of November 3, 2026. None of these changes alter the dollar limits above.

What Illinois HFS Doesn't Tell You About the Income Limits

Grantsights found 5 gaps between how Illinois publishes its limits and how they work for a real household:

1. The numbers live at IDHS, not HFS. HFS runs Medicaid, but the 2026 dollar chart is in the IDHS Workers' Action Guide, a caseworker manual. Many HFS pages give only percentages or no figures at all.
2. The All Kids cost chart on the HFS site is old. HFS's All Kids Income Standards & Cost Sharing Chart (opens in a new tab) carries form number HFS 3711AK (R-04-19) and lists All Kids Assist only up to $3,246 a month for four, with separate Share and Premium tiers. The current IDHS Policy Manual I-03-05 (opens in a new tab) describes one All Kids Assist group up to 318% of poverty, which is $8,745 for four in 2026. Use the IDHS figure, and ask the All Kids Unit if a notice mentions a premium.
3. Kids reach much further up the income scale than parents. Grantsights analysis of the 2026 IDHS chart shows the All Kids limit for a family of four is $4,950 a month higher than the FamilyCare limit for the same family ($8,745 vs $3,795). Many parents underestimate this and never apply for their children after being turned down themselves.
4. Pregnancy changes household size. Grantsights analysis of the same chart found that a pregnant person in a three-person household is measured against the four-person Moms & Babies limit of $5,857, which is $2,716 a month above the $3,141 adult limit for three.
5. The senior asset limit is generous, and spenddown covers the rest. The AABD Medical asset limit is $17,500, not the $2,000 many national articles repeat, and going over the income or asset limit leads to spenddown rather than an outright denial.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

These errors cause most wrong answers on Illinois eligibility:

• Using take-home pay. The MAGI limits are gross income. Pre-tax retirement and health contributions come off; taxes don't.
• Counting the wrong people. A common mistake is leaving an expected baby out of the household or adding a roommate who isn't in your tax household.
• Reading the AABD figure without the $25 exemption. IDHS subtracts $25 of income before comparing it to $1,330, so a senior with $1,350 in Social Security can still pass.
• Assuming an old denial still stands. The adult limit for one person moved to $1,835 with the 2026 standards, and IDHS applied the new figures to pending applications back to January 2026.
• Skipping the kids after a parent is denied. Each person is checked separately, and All Kids reaches 318% of poverty.
• Paying someone to apply. Applying for Illinois Medicaid is free. A red flag is any website, caller or "benefits service" that asks for a fee, gift cards or your bank login to file for you. IDHS and HFS never charge to apply.
• Ignoring mail. From 2027, ACA Adults renew every 6 months, and a missed request for information is one of the fastest ways to lose coverage you still qualify for. Keep your address current in ABE.

How to Apply for Illinois Medicaid and How Long It Takes

IDHS has 45 days to decide most medical applications, including Family Health Plans and AABD for people who are aged or blind, and 60 days when the application depends on a disability decision, according to IDHS Policy Manual 17-01-01 (opens in a new tab).

1. Online: through ABE, the Application for Benefits Eligibility (opens in a new tab), which also has the Manage My Case portal for uploading documents and reporting changes.
2. By phone: the IDHS Help Line at 1-800-843-6154 (TTY 1-866-324-5553), or HFS at 1-877-805-5312 for questions about an existing case or All Kids.
3. In person: at your local IDHS Family Community Resource Center (FCRC).

Gather your last 30 days of pay stubs (or last year's tax return if you're self-employed), Social Security numbers for everyone applying, and any immigration papers. Seniors and people applying for nursing home coverage should also pull bank statements, burial or life insurance policies and deeds, since AABD counts assets. If you also need food help, our Illinois food stamps guide covers SNAP and the Link Card, which use different limits and the same ABE application.

What to Do If You're Denied

You have 60 calendar days from the date on the notice to appeal a medical decision, under IDHS Policy Manual 01-07-03 (opens in a new tab). If the agency never sent a required notice or never acted on your request, there's no deadline. To keep coverage during the appeal, file by the later of the date of change on the notice or the 10th calendar day after the notice date, according to Policy Manual 01-07-04 (opens in a new tab).

You can appeal through ABE, at your FCRC, or by calling the HFS Bureau of Administrative Hearings at 1-800-435-0774, the number IDHS lists in its AABD Medical and HBWD appeals section (opens in a new tab). Start with the reason on the notice. If it's income, compare the caseworker's figure with your gross pay and household size, and for AABD check that the $25 exemption was taken. Legal aid offices in Illinois can help with hearings at no cost.

If You're Over the Illinois Medicaid Limit

Being $100 over the adult line still leaves at least 6 other routes worth checking:

• Get Covered Illinois: Illinois now runs its own marketplace. Its August 2026 release (opens in a new tab) says open enrollment for 2027 coverage began November 1, 2026, and losing Medicaid opens a special enrollment period. Premium tax credits generally start above 138% of poverty; see HealthCare.gov's savings page (opens in a new tab) for how they work. HFS warns that people who lose Medicaid for not meeting the work requirement won't get those tax credits.
• All Kids for the children: up to 318% of poverty, with spenddown above that. For families with kids, this is usually the best bet, since it reaches more than twice the adult limit.
• Spenddown: AABD, children and pregnant people over the limit can qualify once medical bills cover the excess.
• Medicare savings programs: QMB, SLIB and QI-1 help with Medicare costs up to $1,794 a month for one person.
• HBWD: workers with disabilities can qualify up to $4,655 a month for one person with $25,000 in assets.
• WIC serves pregnant women, new mothers and children under 5 up to 185% of poverty: see our WIC income limits guide.

Older adults and people with disabilities can also check our SSI income limits guide and help for seniors programs guide. Our federal poverty guidelines guide lists every percentage band, our SNAP income limits guide covers food help, and our LIHEAP income limits guide covers heating bills. If you need help beyond health coverage, Grantsights' free eligibility checker can point you to official programs for rent, utilities and other needs. It doesn't decide Medicaid eligibility and doesn't file anything for you; it shows where to apply.

FAQ: Illinois Medicaid Income Limits

What is the income limit for Illinois Medicaid in 2026?

$1,835 a month for one adult and $3,795 for four, effective January 1, 2026.

How much can a family of 4 make and get Medicaid in Illinois?

$3,795 a month for the parents; All Kids up to $8,745 a month for the children.

What is the All Kids income limit in Illinois?

318% of poverty: $7,239 a month for three and $8,745 for four.

What is the Moms & Babies income limit in Illinois?

213% of poverty: $3,841 a month for two and $4,849 for three.

What are the Illinois Medicaid income and asset limits for seniors?

$1,330 a month and $17,500 in assets for one person under AABD Medical.

What is the income limit for nursing home Medicaid in Illinois?

No separate cap; income over $1,330 leads to spenddown, and the resident keeps $60 a month.

When do Illinois Medicaid work requirements start?

January 1, 2027, for ACA Adults, checked at the first 2027 redetermination.

How long do I have to appeal an Illinois Medicaid denial?

60 days from the notice; by the 10th day to keep coverage during the appeal.

---

Sources

1. IDHS: WAG 25-03-02 (2) Medical FPLs (opens in a new tab) - 2026 Family Health Plans, ACA Adult, AABD, Medicare savings and HBWD income standards; resource limits; SSI rates; home equity limit
2. IDHS: Manual Release 26.11, 2026 Revised Medical Program Standards (opens in a new tab), May 20, 2026 - effective January 1, 2026; active cases updated April 2026
3. IDHS: Policy Manual 15-06-01, FHP/ACA Adult Standards and MAGI Budgeting (opens in a new tab), 15-06-01-b ACA Adults (opens in a new tab) and 15-06-01-c FamilyCare (opens in a new tab)
4. IDHS: Policy Manual I-03-05, Programs for Children (opens in a new tab) - All Kids Assist up to 318% FPL
5. IDHS: Policy Manual 15-04-03-a, AABD Income Disregard (opens in a new tab)
6. IDHS: Policy Manual 15-04-01, Resources (AABD) (opens in a new tab) and 15-08-00, Spenddown (opens in a new tab)
7. IDHS: Policy Manual 15-04-04, Use of Income (NH, SLF, and DoA HCBS Waiver) (opens in a new tab)
8. IDHS: Policy Manual 15-06-02-b, Personal Needs Allowance (opens in a new tab)
9. IDHS: Manual Release 26.05, CSMNA and CSRA Limit Increases (opens in a new tab), January 29, 2026
10. IDHS: Policy Manual 15-07-01, Backdating Medical Eligibility (opens in a new tab)
11. HFS: Phase Two HR 1 Stakeholder Toolkit (opens in a new tab), August 2026 - work requirements, six-month renewals and retroactive coverage from January 1, 2027
12. HFS: Notice CN 26.27, Federal Law Changes May Affect You and Your Family (opens in a new tab), July 6, 2026 - noncitizen changes from October 1, 2026
13. IDHS: Manual Release 25.40, HBIA Sunset (opens in a new tab), October 27, 2025 - HBIA ended July 1, 2025; HBIS enrollment pause continues
14. HFS: Moms and Babies (opens in a new tab) - coverage through 12 months after birth
15. HFS: All Kids Income Standards & Cost Sharing Chart (opens in a new tab) - form HFS 3711AK (R-04-19)
16. IDHS: Policy Manual 17-01-01, Time Limits (opens in a new tab)
17. IDHS: Policy Manual 01-07-03, Time Period to File Appeal (opens in a new tab) and 01-07-04, Continuing Benefits (opens in a new tab)
18. IDHS: Policy Manual 06-24-10, HBWD Appeals (opens in a new tab)
19. Get Covered Illinois: August 17, 2026 release (opens in a new tab)
20. HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
21. Medicaid.gov: Medicaid, CHIP and BHP Eligibility Levels (opens in a new tab), as of December 1, 2023
22. HealthCare.gov: Lower costs on Marketplace coverage (opens in a new tab)