Nebraska Medicaid Income Limits 2026: DHHS Chart

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

Nebraska Medicaid Income Limits by Household Size (2026)

DHHS prints 10 household sizes and 11 income columns on its MAGI chart, and the form says the figures are effective January 1, 2026 unless noted. These are the monthly limits for the main groups; your household's countable monthly income has to be at or under the figure.

Source: Nebraska DHHS, 477-000-012 Income Levels/Federal Poverty Levels and Resources (opens in a new tab), "Income Limits for MAGI Based Programs and Transitional Medical Assistance," revised October 29, 2026. Percentages are DHHS's column labels. The chart stops at 10 people and doesn't print a per-person add-on.

The same chart also lists former state wards at 51% ($679 for one), Transitional Medical Assistance at 185% and the state-funded SAGA program at 23%. Unlike some states, Nebraska prints the 133% line for Heritage Health Adult without the 5% disregard folded in; more on that below.

The federal record lines up with DHHS's labels. Medicaid.gov's eligibility levels table (opens in a new tab), with state decisions as of December 1, 2023, shows Nebraska at 213% for children of every age, 194% for pregnancy, 58% for parents and 133% for expansion adults, which matches the DHHS column labels.

Heritage Health Adult: Who Qualifies and the 5% Disregard

Heritage Health Adult covers Nebraskans 19 to 64 who aren't on Medicare, and DHHS's own Medicaid expansion page (opens in a new tab) puts the income line at 138% of the federal poverty level, "about $22,000 a year for a single person." The Work Requirements page is more precise: about $22,025 a year for one person or $45,540 for a family of four.

Why does the chart say 133% and the program pages say 138%? The difference is the federal 5% MAGI disregard. DHHS subtracts 5 percentage points of poverty from income before comparing it with the 133% line. Here's what that does in dollars, a Grantsights calculation from the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines:

Grantsights calculation: 5% and 138% of the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines (opens in a new tab) ($15,960 for one, $33,000 for four), divided by 12. The $22,025 and $45,540 yearly figures match what DHHS publishes on its Work Requirements page.

According to the DHHS Medicaid expansion program page, everyone eligible through expansion has received the same benefits, including dental, vision and over-the-counter medicines, since October 1, 2021. Coverage itself started October 1, 2020, per a DHHS news release (opens in a new tab), after voters approved Initiative 427 in November 2018.

The work requirement, in effect since May 1, 2026

Nebraska started the federal community engagement requirement 8 months ahead of the January 1, 2027 national deadline set in the Federal Register rule of June 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab). According to the DHHS work requirements guide for members:

• Who: Heritage Health Adult applicants and members. Children, pregnant women, seniors, people with disabilities and the parent or caretaker group aren't subject to it.
• What counts: at least 80 hours in a calendar month of work, school or an apprenticeship, a work program or volunteering (or a mix), half-time school, or $580 of earnings in the month. Seasonal workers can average $580 over 6 months.
• When it's checked: new applicants show it for the month they apply or the month before. Existing members show it at renewal; DHHS says members with May or June 2026 renewal dates won't have to show it until their 2027 renewal.
• Exemptions include: parents or caretakers of a child 13 or younger, caregivers for a person with a disability, pregnant women and people up to 12 months postpartum, former foster care youth under 26, tribal members and people served by the Indian Health Service, veterans with a total disability rating, people with a disabling medical or mental health condition or substance use disorder, people in treatment, people recently released from jail and some SNAP or TANF households.
• County hardships: DHHS lists 14 counties with temporary exemptions for wildfire, severe weather or high unemployment: Arthur, Buffalo, Dawson, Fillmore, Gage, Garden, Grant, Howard, Jefferson, Lincoln, Morrill, Nemaha, Thayer and Thurston. Dawson County's exemption, based on unemployment, started February 1, 2026 and runs until the rate drops.

The same federal rule reminds states that the adult group also moves to 6-month renewals starting January 1, 2027. The DHHS pages we checked didn't post Nebraska's renewal schedule for that change.

How Nebraska Counts Your Income

Nebraska uses MAGI rules (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) for Heritage Health Adult, children, parents and pregnant women, which means household size and income follow your federal tax return. For those groups, DHHS's eligibility page says children 18 and younger and eligible pregnant women "are not subject to a resource test," and Heritage Health Adult has no asset test either.

• Gross income, adjusted for taxes. Wages, self-employment profit, unemployment benefits and Social Security benefits count. Pre-tax retirement and health premiums come off.
• Not counted: SSI and child support you receive, under the federal MAGI rule at 42 CFR 435.603 (opens in a new tab).
• Pregnancy counts the baby. That same rule adds the expected number of babies to a pregnant woman's household.
• Kids keep coverage for a year. DHHS extended continuous eligibility for newly eligible children from 6 months to 12 months, including at each annual renewal.

Seniors, people who are blind and people with disabilities go through non-MAGI rules with an asset test, covered next.

Nebraska Medicaid for Seniors, Blind and Disabled People

Nebraska's aged, blind and disabled Medicaid reaches 100% of poverty, $1,330 a month for one person, with a $4,000 asset limit, according to the "ABD/OMB" column on form 477-000-012. That's higher than the $994 SSI rate many states use as the line.

Source: DHHS 477-000-012 (opens in a new tab), revised October 29, 2026; income figures effective January 1, 2026. DHHS's eligibility page adds $25 to the asset limit for each family member beyond two, and doesn't count your home, one vehicle, business property or an irrevocable burial fund.

Nursing home and waiver care

Form 477-000-012 doesn't list a separate 300%-of-SSI income cap for nursing home care. Instead, DHHS's Medically Needy and Share of Cost page (opens in a new tab) says the share-of-cost route "is suited to people who live in nursing facilities or those who receive waiver services." In practice, most of a resident's income goes to the facility each month. The 2026 numbers DHHS uses:

• Personal needs: a nursing home resident keeps a $75 a month standard of need ($90 more is excluded for some veterans).
• Assisted living waiver: a $994 standard of need ($919 room and board plus $75 personal needs).
• Spouse at home: the reserved resource amount runs from $32,532 to $162,660 (effective January 1, 2026), and the community spouse income allowance is $2,705 a month from July 1, 2026, with a $4,066 maximum.
• Medicare Part B: the standard premium DHHS lists for 2026 is $202.90.

For the cash side, see our SSI income limits guide and help for seniors programs guide.

Worked Examples: Nebraska Households in 2026

For example, a family of three in Nebraska earning $3,100 a month (a single mom in Lincoln with children aged 4 and 12) gets this result under the 2026 chart:

1. The 4-year-old: the ages 1 to 5 line for three is $3,302, so he's on Medicaid.
2. The 12-year-old: the ages 6 to 18 line is $3,028, so she's $72 over Medicaid but well under the $4,850 CHIP line, so she's covered through CHIP.
3. Mom: she's over the $1,321 caretaker line and over the $3,028 Heritage Health Adult line printed on the chart. Specifically, she's $72 over the printed line but $42 under the $3,142 effective cutoff once the $114 disregard for three comes off, so she should qualify for Heritage Health Adult. As the parent of a child 13 or younger, she's exempt from the work requirement.

A single man in Omaha, 34, earning $1,700 a month at a warehouse is under the $1,836 effective cutoff for one, so he qualifies for Heritage Health Adult. His paycheck is well above $580 a month, so he meets the work requirement through earnings alone.

One retired couple in Grand Island, both 70, with $1,750 a month in Social Security and $5,000 in savings: they're under the $1,804 aged and disabled line for two and under the $6,000 asset limit, so both qualify for full Medicaid alongside Medicare. They're also under the $1,804 QMB line, so Medicaid pays their Medicare premiums and cost-sharing.

What Nebraska DHHS Doesn't Tell You About These Limits

Grantsights analysis of DHHS form 477-000-012 and the agency's program pages found 5 things worth knowing that no single page spells out:

1. The chart and the program pages use different percentages. The chart prints 133% ($1,769 for one), the expansion and work requirement pages say 138%. Both are right; the gap is the 5% disregard, worth $67 a month for one person and $138 for four. If you're between the two numbers, apply.
2. A couple's share-of-cost floor equals a single person's. The Medically Needy Income Level is $392 a month for one and for two. A married couple living on Social Security keeps no more of its income than a widow does before medical bills count.
3. The parent group mostly matters for parents who can't meet work rules. At $1,321 for three, the caretaker line is far below Heritage Health Adult's $3,142 effective cutoff. Parents of children 13 and under are exempt from work rules either way, so the bigger line is usually the one that counts.
4. Lawfully present kids and pregnant women kept coverage. DHHS's noncitizen page (opens in a new tab) says refugees, asylees, parolees and several other groups lost full Medicaid October 1, 2026 unless they're green card holders who meet the 5-year rule, but lawfully present pregnant women and children under 19 still qualify. 599 CHIP still covers prenatal care and delivery for the unborn child.
5. Being turned down sends you to the Marketplace automatically. DHHS says an application found ineligible is forwarded to HealthCare.gov, so watch for a Marketplace notice instead of starting over.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

A common mistake is using the chart's 133% number as a hard wall. Nebraskans within $67 (one person) to $138 (four) of the printed Heritage Health Adult line are often still eligible once DHHS applies the disregard.

Other mistakes to avoid:

• Assuming a job means no Medicaid. One adult can earn up to about $1,836 a month and still qualify; a family of four up to about $3,795.
• Ignoring work requirement mail. Missing a DHHS request for proof of hours or an exemption can end Heritage Health Adult coverage even when you're working. Keep your address current in iServe.
• Forgetting the unborn baby. A pregnant woman living alone is a household of two, so her limit is $3,499.
• Applying the senior asset test to a family. Children, pregnant women and Heritage Health Adult have no asset limit.
• Underestimating the share-of-cost route. People with big medical bills or nursing home costs can still get Medicaid above the income lines.

Red flags for scams: applying for Nebraska Medicaid is free. Anyone who charges to apply, guarantees approval, or texts asking for your iServe password or Medicaid ID isn't DHHS. Real help comes through iServe, DHHS's phone lines or a local DHHS office.

How to Apply for Nebraska Medicaid and How Long It Takes

Federal rules give Nebraska 45 days to decide most applications and 90 days for one based on disability, under 42 CFR 435.912 (opens in a new tab).

1. Apply online through iServe Nebraska (iserve.nebraska.gov), the portal DHHS links from its eligibility page.
2. Apply by phone at (855) 632-7633, (402) 473-7000 in Lincoln or (402) 595-1178 in Omaha, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or ask for a paper application.
3. Go in person to a local DHHS office.
4. Applying for expansion? Have proof ready that you worked, studied or volunteered 80 hours, or earned $580, in the month before you apply, or proof of an exemption.
5. Disability-based application? DHHS may also require an application for Social Security disability benefits.
6. Pick a health plan. Most members get care through a Heritage Health managed care plan.

What to Do If You're Denied

You have 90 days from the date DHHS mails a notice of adverse action to request a fair hearing, under 477 NAC 10-001 (opens in a new tab). The same rule lets you appeal if DHHS doesn't act on your application within a reasonable time, counted from the date you signed it.

• Keep coverage during the appeal: if you request a hearing within 10 days of the notice's mailing date, DHHS won't take the action until the hearing decision.
• Check the household and the disregard. Ask DHHS which household size and income it used, and whether it applied the 5% disregard.
• Work requirement denials: if you lived in one of the hardship counties during a qualifying month, DHHS says it will reprocess your case without you asking. Appeal anyway if you think an exemption applies.
• Health plan service denials go through your Heritage Health plan's appeal first; the plan's notice gives the deadline.

If You're Over the Nebraska Medicaid Limit

$15,960 to $63,840 a year is the 2026 income range where one person can get a Marketplace premium tax credit, and Nebraskans over 138% of poverty usually land there:

• Marketplace coverage: Nebraska uses HealthCare.gov (opens in a new tab), and DHHS forwards denied applications there automatically.
• Share of cost: high medical bills can still qualify you each month above the $392 MNIL for one.
• Medicare: at 65 or after 24 months on Social Security disability, with QMB, SLMB and QI-1 help up to $1,796 a month for one person.
• WIC: pregnant women, new moms and kids under 5 can get food help; see our WIC income limits guide.
• Food help: see our Nebraska food stamps guide and SNAP income limits guide.
• Disability and senior help: our disability grants for individuals guide and SSI benefits guide.
• The guideline numbers: our federal poverty guidelines guide shows each 2026 amount by household size.
• Neighbors: compare non-expansion Kansas Medicaid income limits with expansion states Colorado and Missouri.

Money tight beyond medical bills? The Grantsights free eligibility checker suggests official Nebraska and federal programs to look into. It won't decide your Medicaid eligibility or send an application; DHHS does both.

When These Limits Change Next

DHHS refreshes the poverty-based columns on form 477-000-012 once a year after HHS publishes new guidelines each January; the current figures carry a January 1, 2026 effective date even though HHS released them January 15, 2026. According to the HHS ASPE poverty guideline data, 100% of poverty in 2026 is $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for four, plus $5,680 for each extra person (2026 guidelines (opens in a new tab)).

SSI-based figures, like the $994 standard for assisted living, follow Social Security's January cost-of-living change. SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet (opens in a new tab) sets the 2027 SSI federal payment standard at $1,029 for an individual and $1,544 for a couple, a 3.6% increase. The other dates to watch belong to Heritage Health Adult: members show work hours at each renewal (May and June 2026 renewals were pushed to 2027), and the federal 6-month renewal rule for expansion adults starts January 1, 2027.

FAQ: Nebraska Medicaid Income Limits

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

$1,769 a month for one adult on Heritage Health Adult (about $1,836 with the disregard), $4,850 for children in a family of three and $4,417 in pregnancy.

What is Heritage Health Adult?

Nebraska's Medicaid expansion for adults 19 to 64 who aren't on Medicare, running since October 1, 2020.

Does Nebraska Medicaid have work requirements?

Yes, for expansion adults since May 1, 2026: 80 hours a month or $580 in earnings, unless exempt.

What is the income limit for children?

213% of poverty, or $4,850 a month for a family of three.

What is the pregnancy income limit?

$3,499 for two and $4,417 for three, counting the unborn baby.

What is the asset limit?

$4,000 for one and $6,000 for two for aged, blind and disabled Medicaid; none for families or expansion adults.

How does share of cost work?

You pay medical bills equal to income above the MNIL ($392 for one or two people) each month, then Medicaid covers the rest.

When do the limits change?

Poverty-based figures yearly with a January 1 effective date; SSI-based figures each January 1.

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Sources

1. Nebraska DHHS: 477-000-012 Income Levels/Federal Poverty Levels and Resources (opens in a new tab), revised October 29, 2026, figures effective January 1, 2026 unless noted
2. Nebraska DHHS: Medicaid Eligibility (opens in a new tab)
3. Nebraska DHHS: Medicaid Expansion (opens in a new tab)
4. Nebraska DHHS: Work Requirements (opens in a new tab), in effect May 1, 2026
5. Nebraska DHHS: Medicaid Eligibility for Noncitizens (opens in a new tab), changes effective October 1, 2026
6. Nebraska DHHS: Medically Needy and Share of Cost (opens in a new tab)
7. Nebraska DHHS: Marketplace Notices Coming to Nebraskans Who May Qualify for Heritage Health Adult (opens in a new tab), October 30, 2020
8. 477 NAC 10-001: Right to Appeal (opens in a new tab)
9. Medicaid.gov eligibility levels table (December 2023 data), used here for Nebraska (opens in a new tab), state decisions as of December 1, 2023
10. eCFR: 42 CFR 435.603, Application of modified adjusted gross income (opens in a new tab) and 42 CFR 435.912, Timely determinations (opens in a new tab)
11. HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
12. SSA: 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab)
13. Federal Register: Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals (opens in a new tab), June 3, 2026
14. HealthCare.gov: Medicaid expansion and what it means for you (opens in a new tab)