Medicaid Income Limits 2026: Chart and All 50 States

Medicaid isn't a grant, and applying is free. You apply through your state Medicaid agency or through HealthCare.gov (opens in a new tab), never through a paid service.

Medicaid Income Limits for 2026: Expansion Adults (138% of Poverty)

The 2026 expansion limit is $1,835 a month for one person, the figure most people mean when they search for "the" Medicaid income limit. It applies to adults 19 to 64 in expansion states. The law sets the line at 133% of poverty, and the standard 5-point disregard makes it 138% in practice.

Calculated by Grantsights from 138% (and 133%) of the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines (opens in a new tab) for the 48 contiguous states and DC ($15,960 for one, $33,000 for four, plus $5,680 per person), rounded to the nearest dollar. Your state's chart may round up and may switch to these figures on a different date. Alaska's 138% limit is about $2,294 a month for one person; Hawaii's is about $2,111.

According to the HHS poverty guideline data, the 2026 guideline for a family of four is $33,000, which puts the four-person expansion limit at $45,540 a year. Medicaid's eligibility rules say the limit is applied to current monthly income, so a month with fewer hours can make you eligible even if your yearly pay is higher.

Medicaid Income Limits by Group: Children, Pregnancy, Parents, Seniors

Federal law sets 133% of poverty as the minimum for children in every state, according to the Medicaid.gov eligibility policy data, and most states go well above it. The table shows where each group usually lands in 2026, with dollar figures for a household of three unless noted.

Sources: KFF state indicators for adults and parents (opens in a new tab), children (opens in a new tab) and pregnant women (opens in a new tab), as of January 2026, which include the 5-point disregard; SSA's SSI federal payment amounts (opens in a new tab). Dollar figures are each percentage times the 2026 poverty guideline for three ($27,320) divided by 12.

Pregnancy coverage can continue after the birth; in Texas, for example, it lasts through the 12th month after the pregnancy ends. Check your state's postpartum rule. Children often move between Medicaid and CHIP as family income changes; CHIP may carry small premiums or enrollment fees.

Medicaid Income Limits by State: All 50 States and DC

41 jurisdictions (40 states and DC) cover adults at 138% of poverty, according to the KFF January 2026 eligibility data, and the Federal Register's June 2026 rule gives the same count of 40 states plus DC as expanded. The table shows each state's limits as a percentage of poverty, including the 5-point disregard. State names link to our state guides where one exists.

Source: KFF, as of January 2026, compiled from a national survey by KFF and the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. "Not covered" means no full-Medicaid group for adults without dependent children who aren't pregnant, elderly or disabled. Parent limits for expansion states reflect the 138% adult group. KFF's percentages include the 5% disregard, so they run 5 points above the base percentages on state charts (for example, Michigan's MIChild limit is 212% on the state chart and 217% here). Children's upper limit includes separate CHIP. Pregnancy shows Medicaid, plus the CHIP limit in the 7 states that use CHIP for pregnant individuals. For comparison, Medicaid.gov's table (opens in a new tab) (as of December 1, 2023) shows the same structure without the disregard.

What the state table shows

Grantsights analysis of KFF's January 2026 eligibility data, counting the 50 states and DC:

The spread is widest for parents. In the 8 non-expansion states with no adult coverage, a parent in a family of three loses Medicaid at 15% of poverty in Texas (about $341 a month), 18% in Alabama, 21% in Mississippi, 26% in Florida, 38% in Kansas, 43% in Wyoming, 67% in South Carolina and 105% in Tennessee. For children, upper limits run from 190% in Idaho (about $4,326 a month for three) to 405% in New York (about $9,221).

How Medicaid Counts Income: MAGI, the 5% Disregard and Household Rules

The 5-point disregard is worth $113.85 a month for a household of three in 2026 (5% of the $27,320 guideline, divided by 12), and federal rules require states to subtract it, according to 42 CFR 435.603(d)(4) (opens in a new tab). It applies to the group with the highest income standard you could qualify for, so it matters most when you're just over a line.

MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) is the rule for most children, pregnant women, parents and expansion adults. It's built on tax rules:

• Counted: wages and salary before taxes (after pre-tax retirement and health deductions), self-employment profit, unemployment, Social Security benefits (including the untaxed part), pensions, and most other taxable income.
• Not counted: child support you receive, SSI, most veterans' disability payments, and gifts.
• No asset test. Federal rules don't allow a resource test for MAGI groups, so savings and a car don't matter.
• Household size follows who files taxes together and who's claimed as a dependent. A pregnant woman counts as herself plus the number of babies she's expecting.
• Current monthly income is the starting point for new applicants under 42 CFR 435.603(h), so a recent drop in hours counts.

Non-MAGI rules apply to people whose eligibility is based on being 65 or older, blind or disabled, according to Medicaid.gov. These generally follow SSI's methods: different income exclusions (such as $20 of most income and $65 plus half of wages), and an asset test. For the details of SSI counting, see our SSI income limits guide.

Asset Limits for Seniors, People with Disabilities and Nursing Home Care

SSI's resource limit is $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple in 2026, and many states use those figures for Medicaid based on age, blindness or disability. Some states set different limits, so check your state's chart. The limits that matter most for seniors and families planning care:

Sources: SSA's SSI federal payment amounts (opens in a new tab) and 2027 COLA fact sheet (opens in a new tab); the 300% figure and MSP percentages as published in Texas HHSC's 2026 MEPD budget reference chart (opens in a new tab).

Usually excluded: your home (up to a state equity cap for long-term care), one vehicle, household goods, and limited burial funds. Usually counted: checking and savings, CDs, stocks, IRAs in many states, and property other than your home. For long-term care, states look back 60 months for gifts or transfers below value, and most of a resident's income goes toward the cost of care after approval. In Texas, for example, residents keep a $75 monthly personal needs allowance.

Expansion vs Non-Expansion States: Why Your State Matters Most

In 41 jurisdictions, a single adult earning $1,800 a month qualifies for Medicaid. In 8 states, that same adult can't qualify at any income. That's the biggest single difference in Medicaid eligibility, and it creates the coverage gap.

According to HealthCare.gov's Medicaid expansion page (opens in a new tab), Marketplace premium tax credits start at 100% of poverty. An adult in a non-expansion state with income below that ($15,960 a year for one person in 2026) who doesn't qualify for Medicaid another way falls into the gap: too poor for Marketplace savings and ineligible for Medicaid.

Work requirements start by January 1, 2027. The community engagement rule published in the Federal Register on June 3, 2026 (effective July 31, 2026) requires states to make expansion adults 19 to 64 show 80 hours a month of work, community service, a work program or half-time school, or qualify for an exemption, no later than January 1, 2027. States can apply for good-faith extensions that must end by December 31, 2028. Parents and caretakers of a child 13 or under, pregnant women and people who are medically frail are among those excluded. The rule notes that Georgia is the only state already running a work requirement as a condition of Medicaid for some adults. HealthCare.gov also warns that starting January 1, 2027, a monthly work requirement may apply in states that cover adults based on income alone.

What this means by state: the 40 expansion states and DC must add the requirement; states like Texas with no expansion group aren't affected for their current groups. State pages for Ohio, Colorado, Indiana, Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas and Florida cover local rules.

Worked Examples Using 2026 Limits

For example, a family of three in Ohio earning $3,000 a month (two parents and a child, or one parent and two children) is under the 138% line of about $3,142 for three, so the adults can qualify for expansion Medicaid and the children qualify for children's Medicaid. Specifically, they're about $142 under the 138% line, before the state's own rounding.

The same family in Texas gets a different answer. The children qualify (Texas covers ages 6 to 18 to $3,028 a month for three before the $113.85 disregard, and CHIP to $4,577). But the parent limit for a one-parent family of three is $230 a month, so the adult can't get Medicaid. At about 132% of poverty, the parent can get subsidized Marketplace coverage instead.

A single 45-year-old earning $1,500 a month qualifies in any expansion state (under $1,835) but not in Florida, Texas or the other 6 states with no adult coverage. There, the person is above 100% of poverty ($1,330 a month), so Marketplace premium tax credits are available.

A 78-year-old with $2,400 a month in Social Security is over the $994 SSI rate that many states use for community Medicaid, but under the $2,982 nursing home limit, so she could qualify for nursing home Medicaid if her countable assets are at or under $2,000.

What Medicaid.gov Doesn't Tell You About Income Limits

Grantsights found 5 things the federal tables leave out:

1. The CMS state table is almost 3 years old. Medicaid.gov's eligibility-levels table shows state decisions as of December 1, 2023. KFF's January 2026 data is newer, which is why the table above uses it.
2. Published percentages often don't match each other by 5 points. State charts usually print the limit before the disregard (Texas lists 198% for pregnancy), while KFF prints it after (203%). Both are right; compare your income to the chart and then add the disregard.
3. Each state switches to new poverty guidelines on its own date. HHS publishes in January, but Texas, for example, applied the 2026 figures to coverage starting March 1, 2026.
4. Expansion coverage now comes with conditions. Expansion adults face the new work requirement from January 1, 2027 unless excluded; parents and caretakers of a child 13 or under, and pregnant or postpartum women, are excluded.
5. Siblings can land in different programs. Many states set different limits for ages 0 to 1, 1 to 5 and 6 to 18, so one child can get Medicaid while another gets CHIP.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

A common mistake is checking yearly income against the limit when your state looks at current monthly income. If your hours were cut this month, your application is judged on that. The opposite mistake is just as common: people underestimate how much the household-size rules help, especially in pregnancy, where the expected baby counts.

Other mistakes that lead to the wrong answer:

• Using take-home pay. Medicaid starts from income before taxes (less pre-tax retirement and health deductions).
• Assuming kids are out because a parent is. Children's limits are far higher, often 200% to 300% of poverty or more.
• Assuming seniors face the 138% rule. Medicare-age applicants follow SSI-based rules, including an asset test, and may qualify for a Medicare Savings Program even when full Medicaid is out of reach.
• Using last year's chart. Limits move every year.

Red flags: applying for Medicaid is free. Anyone charging a fee to apply, promising guaranteed approval, or asking for your Medicaid ID or bank details by text or phone isn't your state agency. Apply only through your state Medicaid agency or HealthCare.gov (opens in a new tab).

How to Apply and How Long It Takes

States must decide most applications within 45 days, or 90 days when eligibility depends on a disability, under 42 CFR 435.912 (opens in a new tab).

1. Apply through your state Medicaid agency (online, by phone, by mail or in person) or fill out an application at HealthCare.gov (opens in a new tab), which sends it to your state if you look eligible.
2. Have ready: recent pay stubs, Social Security numbers, immigration documents if they apply, and information about other health coverage.
3. Seniors and people with disabilities: getting SSI often comes with Medicaid; for nursing home care, apply with your state.
4. Answer requests for documents by the deadline. Missing paperwork is a common reason for denial.

What to Do If You're Denied

Federal rules give you up to 90 days from the date the notice is mailed to ask for a fair hearing, according to 42 CFR 431.221 (opens in a new tab), though your state can set a shorter window. Read your notice for the exact deadline.

• Ask how they calculated it. Your best bet is to check the household size and income they used. Household size, a missed disregard or counting income that shouldn't count are common, fixable errors.
• Apply for the right group. If you were denied as an adult, check whether you qualify as a parent, through pregnancy, or through disability.
• Reapply if your income or household changes.

Over the Medicaid Limit? Medicare, Marketplace and Other Options

If your income is above your state's Medicaid limit, these are your main alternatives:

• Marketplace coverage: premium tax credits from 100% to 400% of poverty, according to HealthCare.gov (opens in a new tab). For one person in 2026, that's $15,960 to $63,840 a year.
• Medicare: at 65, or after 24 months of Social Security disability benefits. Medicare Savings Programs help with premiums up to 135% of poverty.
• CHIP for your children even when you're over the adult limit.
• WIC for pregnant women, new mothers and children under 5 up to 185% of poverty; see our WIC income limits guide.
• Food and bills: our SNAP income limits guide, LIHEAP income limits guide and HUD income limits guide.
• Seniors and people with disabilities: our help for seniors programs guide, SSI benefits guide and disability grants for individuals guide.
• The poverty guidelines themselves: our federal poverty guidelines guide.

If you're sorting out more than health coverage, Grantsights' free eligibility checker points you to official programs for food, rent and other bills. It doesn't decide Medicaid eligibility or file anything with your state; your state Medicaid agency makes that decision.

When Medicaid Income Limits Change Next

HHS publishes new poverty guidelines every January, and each state adopts them on its own date. The 2027 guidelines will move the 138% limit for 2027. SSI-based limits change every January: SSA's 2027 rate of $1,029 for one person and $1,544 for a couple starts with January 2027 payments. The community engagement requirement starts no later than January 1, 2027 in expansion states.

FAQ: Medicaid Income Limits

What is the Medicaid income limit for 2026?

About $1,835 a month for one adult and $3,142 for three in expansion states (138% of poverty). Other groups have different limits.

What is the Medicaid income limit for a single person?

About $1,835 a month ($22,025 a year) in an expansion state. In 8 non-expansion states, most single adults without a disability can't qualify.

What is the Medicaid income limit for a family of 4?

About $3,795 a month for a parent in an expansion state; children usually qualify at far higher incomes.

Which states haven't expanded Medicaid?

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

What is the Medicaid asset limit?

None for MAGI groups. Often $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple for seniors and people with disabilities.

What is the Medicaid income limit for nursing home care?

$2,982 a month for one person in 2026 in states using the 300% of SSI limit.

Does Medicaid count gross or net income?

Mostly MAGI, which starts from income before taxes, minus a 5-point disregard.

When do Medicaid income limits change?

Once a year after the January poverty guidelines; SSI-based limits every January.

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Sources

1. HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (opens in a new tab) - $15,960 for one, $27,320 for three, $33,000 for four (48 states and DC); $19,950 (Alaska) and $18,360 (Hawaii) for one
2. Medicaid.gov: Medicaid, CHIP and BHP Eligibility Levels (opens in a new tab), state decisions as of December 1, 2023
3. Medicaid.gov: Eligibility Policy (opens in a new tab)
4. 42 CFR 435.603: MAGI-based methodologies (opens in a new tab), 42 CFR 435.912: timeliness (opens in a new tab) and 42 CFR 431.221: requesting a hearing (opens in a new tab)
5. Federal Register: Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals (opens in a new tab), June 3, 2026, effective July 31, 2026
6. KFF (non-government compilation), as of January 2026: adults and parents (opens in a new tab), children (opens in a new tab), pregnant women (opens in a new tab); status of state Medicaid expansion decisions (opens in a new tab), October 16, 2026
7. SSA: SSI Federal Payment Amounts (opens in a new tab) and 2027 COLA Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab)
8. Texas HHSC: MEPD Appendix XXXI Budget Reference Chart (opens in a new tab) and Texas Works Handbook C-130 Medical Programs (opens in a new tab)
9. HealthCare.gov: Medicaid expansion and what it means for you (opens in a new tab) and Getting Medicaid and CHIP (opens in a new tab)