Nevada Medicaid Income Limits 2026: DSS Chart

There's no fee to apply, and Nevada Medicaid pays for care rather than handing out cash. To compare Nevada with other states, see our national Medicaid income limits guide.

Nevada Medicaid Income Limits by Household Size (2026)

Nevada's 2026 Medicaid chart carries 8 income columns, and three of them set the line for nearly every family. According to the DSS 2026 poverty level data for Medicaid programs, a household of four can have up to $3,795 a month for adults, $4,538 for a child under 6 and $5,638 for a pregnant woman or a child on Nevada Check Up. All amounts are gross monthly income.

Source: Nevada DSS, Income Limit Charts, "2026 Federal Poverty Levels for Medicaid Programs" (opens in a new tab). DSS publishes the columns by percentage only; Grantsights matched each to its group using DSS's hospital presumptive eligibility guidance (H-100) (opens in a new tab), DSS's Medicaid brochure (opens in a new tab) and Nevada Medicaid Web Announcement 3654. The percentages include the 5% disregard.

Where the other columns fit

The DSS chart also lists a 122% column ($2,778 for three), an "AM limit" column ($495 for three) and a 190% column. The H-100 guidance places school-age children up to 122% in the CH aid code and those from 122% to 138% in CH1; both are full Medicaid, so the table above shows the 138% top. The AM limit is the old parent and caretaker payment standard; parents above it but under 138% are covered as expansion adults (AM1). Grantsights couldn't confirm which current group uses the 190% column, so it's left out of the table.

Seniors, disability and long-term care limits

Sources: DSS Income Limit Charts (MAABD section) (opens in a new tab), Medical Assistance Manual E-400 (opens in a new tab) and the SSA payment table (opens in a new tab).

The $2,982 nursing home figure is a Grantsights calculation, not a posted DSS number: DSS's online MAABD income chart (Appendix C) is still the 2023 edition, which lists a $2,742 long-term care gross income limit, exactly 3 times that year's $914 SSI rate. Applying the same 300% rule to SSA's $994 rate for 2026 gives $2,982, and the 2027 rate of $1,029 would put it at $3,087. Ask DSS to confirm the current figure on any long-term care case.

How Nevada Counts Your Income for Medicaid

Nevada uses 2 counting methods: MAGI rules for adults, parents, children, pregnancy and Nevada Check Up, and MAABD (Medical Assistance to the Aged, Blind and Disabled) rules for seniors, disability and long-term care.

MAGI rules start from federal tax income. Paychecks, net self-employment income, unemployment and taxable Social Security count. Child support received and SSI don't. Your household is the tax household: you, a spouse and the dependents you claim, plus each unborn child when someone's pregnant. MAGI coverage has no resource test, so savings and a paid-off car don't matter for these groups.

The 5% disregard is already built into the DSS chart. Federal standards of 133% for adults, 160% for young children, and 200% for pregnancy and Check Up become the 138%, 165% and 205% columns.

MAABD rules apply SSI-style budgeting. They count resources like bank accounts and second vehicles, and for nursing home cases they compare gross countable income to the institutional limit before any deductions, as manual section F-110 describes.

For example, a family of three in Nevada earning $3,300 a month gross (one parent, a 4-year-old and a 9-year-old) gets three different answers. The parent is specifically $158 over the $3,142 adult limit, so the parent doesn't qualify. The 4-year-old does, because the under-6 limit for three is $3,757. The 9-year-old is over the $3,142 school-age Medicaid line but well under Nevada Check Up's $4,668, so that child goes on Check Up with a quarterly family premium. The parent's next stop is Nevada Health Link.

Nevada Medicaid Asset Limits

$2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple is the resource limit for nursing home and home-based waiver groups, under section E-405 of the DSS Medical Assistance Manual. QDWI (the Medicare Part A program for working people with disabilities) allows $4,000 for one person and $6,000 for a couple. MAGI groups, including adults, children and pregnancy, have no asset limit at all.

What else to know about resources in long-term care cases:

• Timing: you're eligible for a month if countable resources are under the limit on any day of that month, per section E-400.
• Verification: DSS checks bank and financial accounts through the Asset Verification System, and not every bank participates.
• Personal needs: a nursing home resident keeps a $154 monthly personal needs allowance, per the F-100 long-term care section (dated August 2025); most of the rest of their income goes toward the cost of care.
• Spouses: when one spouse needs nursing home care, the spouse at home can keep a protected share of resources and income. DSS's posted spousal figures are from older charts, so ask your caseworker for the current amounts.

Moving assets for less than fair market value before applying can delay long-term care coverage. A legal aid office or elder law attorney can explain the rules before you transfer anything.

Expansion vs Non-Expansion: Nevada's Position in 2026

Nevada is a Medicaid expansion state, so 133% of poverty plus the 5% disregard covers adults 19 to 64 with or without children. The Medicaid.gov eligibility levels table (opens in a new tab) (as of December 1, 2023) lists Nevada at 133% for expansion adults, 26% (a dollar standard) for parents, 160% for pregnancy and children under 6, 133% for children 6 to 18 and 200% for separate CHIP. The pregnancy figure is out of date: Nevada Medicaid's Web Announcement 3654 says Senate Bill 504 from the 2023 session raised it to 200% of poverty for services on or after July 1, 2025. Our California Medi-Cal income limits guide and Oregon Health Plan income limits guide cover neighboring expansion states, and our Texas Medicaid income limits guide shows the non-expansion picture.

What changes next, per the Nevada Medicaid new requirements page:

• January 1, 2027, work, school or volunteer rules. Certain adults 19 to 64 in the expansion group must complete 80 hours of work, job training, school, community service or a mix in a review month, or have at least $580 in countable income. Current members must show they met the rule in at least one month of the review period before their 2027 renewal date.
• Six-month renewals for that group, applying to renewals starting January 1, 2027. Everyone else keeps a yearly renewal.
• Copays for some expansion adults for services from October 2028.

DSS lists exemptions for people 65 and older, parents of children under 14, people with a disability, pregnant people, people with serious physical or mental health conditions, and American Indians and Alaska Natives. Nevada Medicaid runs a dedicated work requirement hotline at 702-631-3310 or 775-824-7410.

Already in effect: noncitizen changes on October 1, 2026. Nevada Medicaid's FAQ says only citizens, lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA migrants remain eligible under the new federal rules. Refugees, asylees and parolees may lose coverage. Nevada's CHIPRA 214 option still lets lawfully residing children and pregnant people get Medicaid or Nevada Check Up with no waiting period. The October rules change who can enroll, not the income lines in the chart.

What DSS Doesn't Tell You About Nevada Medicaid Income Limits

Grantsights found 5 gaps between how Nevada posts its numbers and how they work for a real household:

1. The chart has no group labels. DSS lists percentages (122%, 138%, 165%, 190%, 205%) without saying who each one is for. You have to cross-check provider guidance and brochures to learn that 205% covers both pregnancy and Check Up.
2. Pregnancy coverage got a big raise. Grantsights analysis of the 2026 DSS chart shows the move from the old 165% pregnancy line to 205% adds $721 a month of room for a pregnant woman counted as a household of two ($3,697 versus $2,976). Many families underestimate this because older pages still show 165%.
3. Check Up isn't free, but it's cheap. It reaches $1,526 a month higher than school-age Medicaid for a family of three ($4,668 versus $3,142), with a quarterly premium of $25 to $80 per family, not per child.
4. Check Up starts the following month. DSS manual section D-100 says Nevada Check Up is approved effective the month after approval, so a child's Check Up coverage doesn't start in the month you apply.
5. Senior figures lag online. DSS's posted MAABD chart is the 2023 edition. The 2026 Medicare Savings Program limits are current on the income charts page, but nursing home caps aren't, so confirm with DSS.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

These mistakes drive most wrong answers about Nevada Medicaid eligibility:

• Reading the AM column as the parent limit. It's $495 a month for three, but working parents are covered as expansion adults up to $3,142.
• Using take-home pay. Nevada compares gross income, not net.
• Counting a pregnant woman as one person. A common mistake that understates the limit; each expected baby counts.
• Letting Check Up premiums lapse. The D-100 manual section flags households that fall 60 days or two full months behind on premiums for follow-up, which can end the child's coverage.
• Ignoring 2027 renewal mail. With six-month renewals and work rules starting, missed DSS notices are the most likely way to lose coverage you still qualify for.
• Paying for help or answering scam calls. Applying through Access Nevada is free. DSS warns that its staff will never call about medical records, benefits or prescriptions; hang up on those calls. A red flag is any fee, gift card request or request for your bank login.

How to Apply for Nevada Medicaid and How Long It Takes

DSS must process a MAGI Medicaid application no later than the 45th day from the application date, under section D-100 of the Medical Assistance Manual. No in-person interview is required for MAGI groups. You'll get a confirmation letter with a case number and PIN, then a Notice of Decision.

1. Online: through Access Nevada (opens in a new tab), which handles Medicaid, Nevada Check Up, SNAP and TANF in one application and has a "Do I Qualify?" pre-screener.
2. By phone: DSS at 702-486-1646 (Southern Nevada), 775-684-7200 (Northern Nevada) or 800-992-0900 toll free.
3. In person: at a DSS district office, where you can also pick up a paper application.

Have Social Security cards, proof of citizenship or immigration status, your 2 most recent pay stubs (or last year's tax return if self-employed) and any current insurance card ready. If you also need food help, our Nevada food stamps guide covers SNAP, which uses different limits.

What to Do If You're Denied

You have 90 days from the date of the Notice of Decision to request a hearing, and DSS must receive the request in writing within that window, under section G-200 of the Medical Assistance Manual. The day after the notice date is day 1. You can also ask for a conference with DSS first, and if you disagree with the hearing decision, the 2026 DSS application says you can appeal to your local Nevada District Court.

Check the reason before you file. For income denials, compare DSS's figure to your gross pay and your household size, and make sure an unborn child was counted. Legal aid groups in Nevada help with Medicaid hearings at no cost.

If You're Over the Nevada Medicaid Limit

Even $100 over still leaves 5 places to look, and the kids are the strongest bet in most families because Check Up runs to 205%:

• Nevada Health Link: the state marketplace, where premium tax credits cut costs for adults over 138%; see HealthCare.gov's savings page (opens in a new tab) for how the credits work.
• Nevada Check Up: children up to $5,638 a month for a family of four, for a quarterly premium of $25, $50 or $80.
• Pregnancy Medicaid: up to 205% with the disregard, well above the adult line.
• Medicare Savings Programs: help with Medicare premiums up to $1,796 a month for one person (QI-1).
• Community health centers: Nevada Medicaid's non-citizen FAQ lists sliding-fee clinics such as Northern Nevada HOPES and Community Health Alliance for people without coverage.

The poverty math behind every Nevada column is explained in our federal poverty guidelines guide. For aging parents, start with our SSI income limits and senior assistance programs guides; for a new baby or a high summer power bill, the WIC and LIHEAP income limit guides apply. If rent or utilities are the bigger worry, Grantsights' free eligibility checker lists official programs to look at in Nevada. It can't decide Medicaid eligibility or apply for you; it only shows where to go.

FAQ: Nevada Medicaid Income Limits

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

$1,836 a month for one adult and $3,795 for four.

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

Adults up to $3,795 a month; children on Nevada Check Up up to $5,638.

What is the Nevada Medicaid income limit for pregnant women?

200% of poverty plus the disregard: $3,697 a month for a household of two.

What does Nevada Check Up cost?

A quarterly family premium of $25, $50 or $80, with no copays.

What are the Nevada Medicaid income and asset limits for nursing home care?

About $2,982 a month (300% of SSI) and $2,000 in resources for one person.

When do Nevada Medicaid work requirements start?

January 1, 2027, for certain expansion adults without an exemption.

How long do I have to appeal a Nevada Medicaid denial?

90 days from the Notice of Decision date, received in writing.

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Sources

1. Nevada DSS: Income Limit Charts (opens in a new tab) - 2026 federal poverty levels for Medicaid programs and 2026 Medicare beneficiary limits; page updated September 30, 2026
2. Nevada Medicaid: Web Announcement 3654, Recipient Eligibility Expanded for Pregnant Women (opens in a new tab), June 16, 2025; effective July 1, 2025
3. Nevada DSS: Medicaid and Nevada Check Up brochure (opens in a new tab), September 2025
4. Nevada DSS: H-100 Hospital Presumptive Eligibility Provider Guidance (opens in a new tab) - group-to-percentage mapping
5. Nevada DSS: Medical Assistance Manual E-400, Resources (opens in a new tab)
6. Nevada DSS: Medical Assistance Manual F-100, Long Term Care Services (opens in a new tab), August 2025
7. Nevada DSS: Medical Assistance Manual Appendix C, MAABD Income Standard Chart (opens in a new tab) (2023 edition)
8. Nevada DSS: Medical Assistance Manual D-100, MAGI Application Processing (opens in a new tab)
9. Nevada DSS: Medical Assistance Manual G-100/G-200, Hearings (opens in a new tab)
10. Nevada DSS: Nevada Check Up (opens in a new tab) - quarterly premiums
11. Nevada Medicaid: New Work, School and Volunteer Requirements (opens in a new tab)
12. Nevada Medicaid: Non-Citizen Eligibility Changes (opens in a new tab) - effective October 1, 2026
13. Nevada DSS: Medicaid Eligibility Rules are Changing (opens in a new tab) - exemptions, updated September 22, 2026
14. Nevada DSS: Application for Assistance (2905-EG) (opens in a new tab), March 2026
15. Medicaid.gov: Medicaid and CHIP eligibility levels by state (opens in a new tab) - Nevada row, data as of December 1, 2023 (before SB 504)
16. HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
17. SSA: SSI payment amounts table (opens in a new tab) - used for the 300% long-term care calculation