Washington Apple Health Income Limits 2026

Applying is free, and Apple Health is health coverage, not a cash payment. To compare Washington with other states, see our national Medicaid income limits guide.

Apple Health Income Limits by Household Size (2026)

Washington publishes 7 MAGI income lines on one chart, and the right one depends on age, pregnancy and parenting status. According to HCA's Apple Health Income and Resource Standards chart (October 1, 2026), a household of four can have up to $972 a month under the parent and caretaker program, $3,795 under Apple Health for Adults, $5,913 for a pregnant person or a child on free coverage, and $8,718 for a child on the top premium tier. All figures are gross monthly income before taxes.

Source: HCA Apple Health Income and Resource Standards (opens in a new tab), October 1, 2026. HCA notes that every MAGI line except the parent/caretaker program already includes the 5% income disregard, so the rule percentages (133%, 210%, 260% and 312%) show up as 138%, 215%, 265% and 317%. The chart also lists 9- and 10-person households (for example $7,061 and $7,714 for adults). The 265% line is also the limit for family-planning-only coverage.

Yearly equivalents for Apple Health for Adults

HCA publishes monthly figures only. Grantsights multiplied 138% by the 2026 HHS poverty guideline for each household size to get these yearly amounts, which match HCA's monthly chart to within a dollar a month.

Seniors, disability and long-term care limits

Washington calls the non-MAGI programs "Classic Medicaid," and they use SSI-style income and resource tests instead of the chart above.

Sources: HCA income and resource standards chart (opens in a new tab); HCA Medicare Savings Program page (opens in a new tab) (no asset test); HCA Workers with Disabilities page (opens in a new tab); WAC 182-513-1350 (opens in a new tab) for long-term care resources. HCA's Medicare Savings Program figures include a $20 disregard.

How Apple Health Counts Your Income

Apple Health uses 2 income systems, and which one applies decides both the limit and whether your savings matter.

MAGI rules apply to Apple Health for Adults, parents and caretakers, pregnancy coverage and Apple Health for Kids. Income follows federal tax definitions, so wages, net self-employment earnings, unemployment pay and taxable Social Security count. The household is built from tax-filing relationships: usually you, a spouse and the people you claim. A pregnant person counts herself plus each expected baby, so a single woman expecting one child is a household of two. MAGI programs have no resource test. The 5% disregard is worth 5% of the poverty guideline for your household size, which in 2026 is about $66.50 a month for one person and $137.50 for four, and HCA has already folded it into every MAGI figure in the table except the parent/caretaker line.

Classic Medicaid rules cover people 65 and older, people who are blind or disabled, Medicare Savings Programs, the medically needy spend-down and long-term services and supports. These look at countable resources as well as income, and they have their own deductions.

For example, a family of three in Washington earning $3,500 a month gross (a single parent with a 4-year-old and a 10-year-old) gets split results. The parent is specifically $358 over the $3,142 adult limit and far above the $820 parent/caretaker standard, so the parent doesn't qualify for Apple Health. Both children are under the $4,896 free Apple Health for Kids line, so they're covered with no premium. The parent would shop on Washington Healthplanfinder, where a plan with premium help is the usual next step.

Apple Health Asset Limits for Seniors and Long-Term Care

$2,000 is the resource limit for a single person on Classic Medicaid, and a married couple applying together gets $3,000, according to the HCA income and resource standards data and WAC 182-513-1350. Adults, children and pregnant people on MAGI coverage don't face any asset test.

Long-term care adds rules that protect a spouse who stays at home:

• Spousal resources: the at-home spouse can keep up to the federal maximum of $162,660 (effective January 1, 2026), with a Washington state standard of $72,529 (effective July 1, 2025) used in some cases, per HCA's chart.
• Spousal income: the community spouse maintenance needs allowance tops out at $4,066.50 a month (January 1, 2026).
• Home equity: a home is excluded only up to $1,130,000 in equity (January 1, 2026).
• What the resident keeps: the personal needs allowance in most medical institutions is $108.74 a month (January 1, 2026); the rest of the resident's income generally goes toward care.

According to the HCA long-term care standards data, the private nursing facility rate is $14,759 a month as of October 1, 2026, which is why families should check eligibility early. Giving away money or property for less than fair market value can delay coverage, so talk with a legal aid office or an elder law attorney before moving assets. HCA's long-term care page also notes that the resource test is waived and no income limit applies for long-term services provided under Apple Health for Adults and HWD.

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

Washington expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, so 133% of poverty plus the 5% disregard covers adults 19 to 64 with or without children, as described in WAC 182-505-0250 (opens in a new tab) and HCA's work requirements fact sheet. In a non-expansion state the picture is different: our Texas Medicaid income limits guide shows how adults without children are left out there. Neighboring guides for Idaho and Montana show two other expansion states with different rules, and Colorado's guide covers a western state with a higher children's line.

What changes on January 1, 2027. According to HCA's H.R. 1 work requirements and renewals fact sheet (opens in a new tab) (June 2026) and its changes page (opens in a new tab):

• Work requirements for Apple Health for Adults enrollees 19 to 64. They'll need at least $580 in monthly household income, half-time school, or 80 hours a month of work, community service, a work program or a mix. The requirement must be met in the month before applying, or in any of the six months before renewing.
• 6-month coverage periods for that same group, starting at each person's first renewal in 2027. HCA's example: someone approved February 1, 2027, renews by July 31, 2027.
• Shorter retroactive coverage: 1 month for Apple Health for Adults and 2 months for other Apple Health programs, down from 3.
• Cost sharing of up to $35 for many services for Apple Health for Adults starts October 1, 2028, with primary care, behavioral health and emergency care excluded.

Exemptions HCA lists include pregnancy and the 12-month postpartum period, parents or caretakers of a child under 14 or of a person with a disability, members of a SNAP or TANF household, people entitled to Medicare, former foster youth under 26, people who are medically frail, people in substance use treatment, veterans with a 100% disability rating, people within 90 days of release from incarceration and people with a short-term hardship. American Indian and Alaska Native enrollees are excluded from both the work rule and the 6-month renewals.

Already in effect: on October 1, 2026, federal Medicaid eligibility for many refugees, asylees and other noncitizen adults ended, as CMS described in State Health Official letter 26-001 (opens in a new tab) (April 8, 2026). HCA reports a federal court order kept coverage for more than 800 Washingtonians receiving SSI, and its noncitizens page (opens in a new tab) says children and pregnant people stay eligible regardless of immigration status. The income chart itself stays the same under all of these changes.

What HCA Doesn't Tell You About the Apple Health Limits

Grantsights compared HCA's single standards chart with its program pages and found 5 points a reader can easily miss:

1. The parent line almost never decides your case. The parent/caretaker program stops at $820 a month for a family of three, but almost every working parent is tested under Apple Health for Adults instead, at $3,142. Grantsights analysis of the October 2026 chart shows the adult line covers $2,322 more a month for three, so a parent who stops reading at the first number may assume they're out when they're not.
2. Free kids' coverage reaches much higher than the adult limit. Grantsights analysis of the same chart found free Apple Health for Kids for a household of four ends at $5,913, which is $2,118 a month above the $3,795 adult line. Kids under 6 on free coverage also stay covered through the month they turn six, regardless of income changes.
3. Washington's Medicare Savings Programs are more generous than the federal floor. HCA sets QMB at 110% of poverty ($1,483 for one person) instead of the federal 100%, and it has dropped the asset test. A senior who was turned down for savings in the past may qualify now.
4. Apple Health Expansion is closed to new enrollment. This state-funded program for adults 19 and older who don't qualify for other Apple Health because of immigration status uses the same $1,835 line, but HCA says the enrollment cap has been met. You can still apply to be considered if space opens, and it moves to fee-for-service coverage on January 1, 2027.
5. Two agencies handle different groups. People 19 to 64 apply through Washington Healthplanfinder, while people 65 and older, and anyone needing long-term care, apply through DSHS at Washington Connection. Using the wrong door slows things down.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

A small handful of errors explain most wrong answers on Apple Health eligibility:

• Using take-home pay. HCA compares gross monthly income to its chart, so withheld taxes still count, while pre-tax retirement savings and health premiums are subtracted.
• Getting household size wrong. A common mistake is leaving an expected baby out of the count, or adding a roommate who isn't in your tax household.
• Reading last year's chart. The adult limit for one person moved to $1,835 when the 2026 poverty guidelines took effect on April 1. Many websites still show older numbers, so it's easy to underestimate how much you can earn.
• Assuming your child can't qualify because you don't. Each person is checked separately, and kids qualify at much higher incomes.
• Paying someone to apply. Applying for Apple Health is free. A red flag is any website, caller or "enrollment service" that asks for a fee, gift cards or your bank login to file for you. HCA, DSHS and in-person assisters at Washington Healthplanfinder don't charge.
• Ignoring renewal mail in 2027. With 6-month renewals for many adults, a missed request for information can end coverage you still qualify for. Keep your contact details current in your account.

How to Apply for Apple Health and How Long It Takes

Under WAC 182-503-0060 (opens in a new tab), HCA decides most Apple Health applications within 45 days, pregnancy applications within 15 days and applications needing a disability decision within 60 days. Online MAGI applications through Washington Healthplanfinder can return a decision in real time. If HCA needs more information, it sends a letter within 20 days and gives you at least 10 days to answer. Once approved, a ProviderOne services card usually arrives in about two weeks, and coverage starts on the first day of the month you applied.

1. Ages 19 to 64, children and pregnancy: apply online at Washington Healthplanfinder (opens in a new tab) or call 1-855-923-4633. HCA's line for questions from clients 19 to 64 is 1-800-562-3022.
2. Age 65 or older, blind, disabled or needing long-term care: apply at Washington Connection (opens in a new tab) or call DSHS at 1-877-501-2233, or visit a local Community Services Office. Long-term care applications go to Home and Community Services.
3. Paper: use HCA form 18-001P for MAGI coverage or HCA 18-005 for aged, blind, disabled and long-term care coverage.

Have pay stubs or a recent tax return, Social Security numbers and dates of birth, and immigration papers if they apply. For Classic Medicaid, add bank statements and property records. If you also need food help, our Washington food stamps guide covers Basic Food (SNAP), which uses different limits.

What to Do If You're Denied

You have 90 days from the date of the decision to request an administrative hearing, according to HCA's administrative hearing page (opens in a new tab), and a late request can still be considered by the administrative law judge. To keep your coverage while you wait, request the hearing by the 10th day after the notice was sent or by the last day of the month before the change takes effect, under WAC 182-504-0130 (opens in a new tab). HCA must send most termination notices at least 10 days before acting.

Start with the reason on the notice. If it's income, compare HCA's figure with your gross pay and household size, and check whether an expected baby or a tax dependent was left out. Washington legal aid offices can help with hearings at no cost, and the notice itself lists how to ask for help.

If You're Over the Apple Health Limit

Even $100 over the adult line leaves at least 5 other routes, and for families the best bet is usually Apple Health for Kids, which tops out at $7,218 a month for three on its $30 premium tier, according to the HCA Apple Health for Kids program data.

• Washington Healthplanfinder: adults over 138% can buy a plan with federal premium tax credits and state Cascade Care Savings; see HealthCare.gov's savings page (opens in a new tab) for how the federal credits work. Open enrollment runs November 1 to January 15, and losing Apple Health opens a special enrollment period.
• Medicare Savings Programs: if you have Medicare, QMB pays premiums and cost sharing up to $1,483 a month for one person, with no asset test.
• Medically needy spend-down: people who are aged, blind or disabled and over $994 can qualify after their medical bills reach the spend-down amount.
• HWD: a worker with a disability can buy in with no income cap, paying no more than 7.5% of income.
• WIC serves pregnant people, new parents and children under 5 up to 185% of poverty: see our WIC income limits guide.
• Washington seniors and adults with disabilities who need cash or in-home help can start with our SSI income limits guide and our help for seniors programs guide.

Washington households juggling more than one bill can also check our LIHEAP income limits guide for heating help, our SNAP income limits guide for national food-aid rules and our federal poverty guidelines guide for what each percentage band means in dollars. Grantsights' free eligibility checker is a separate tool for bills like rent and utilities: it lists official programs a Washington household may want to contact. It doesn't decide Apple Health eligibility and doesn't file anything for you; it shows where to apply.

FAQ: Washington Apple Health Income Limits

What is the income limit for Washington Apple Health in 2026?

$1,835 a month for one adult and $3,795 for four, updated every April 1.

How much can a family of 4 make and get Apple Health in Washington?

$3,795 a month for the adults; free kids' coverage to $5,913 and premium coverage to $8,718.

What is the Apple Health income limit for pregnant women?

$3,879 a month for a household of two and $4,896 for three.

What is the income limit for Apple Health for Kids?

Free to $4,896 a month for three; with premiums up to $7,218.

What are the Apple Health income and asset limits for seniors in Washington?

$994 a month and $2,000 in resources for one person in 2026.

What is the nursing home Medicaid income limit in Washington?

$2,982 a month, effective January 1, 2026.

When do Apple Health work requirements start?

January 1, 2027, for Apple Health for Adults enrollees without an exemption.

How long do I have to appeal an Apple Health denial?

90 days from the decision; 10 days to keep coverage during the appeal.

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Sources

1. Washington HCA: Apple Health Income and Resource Standards (HCA 19-0096) (opens in a new tab), dated October 1, 2026
2. Washington HCA: Individual adults (Apple Health for Adults) (opens in a new tab) - limits change every April
3. Washington HCA: Children (Apple Health for Kids) (opens in a new tab) - premium tiers and continuous eligibility
4. Washington HCA: Pregnant individuals (opens in a new tab)
5. Washington HCA: Parents and caretakers (opens in a new tab)
6. Washington HCA: Aged, blind, or disabled (opens in a new tab)
7. Washington HCA: Medicare Savings Program (opens in a new tab)
8. Washington HCA: Apple Health for Workers with Disabilities (opens in a new tab)
9. Washington HCA: Long-term care and hospice (opens in a new tab)
10. Washington HCA: Apple Health Expansion (opens in a new tab) - enrollment cap met
11. Washington HCA: Noncitizens (opens in a new tab)
12. Washington HCA: What the changes to Apple Health mean for you (opens in a new tab) - October 1, 2026, January 1, 2027 and October 1, 2028 changes
13. Washington HCA: Work requirements and renewals fact sheet (opens in a new tab), June 2026
14. Washington HCA: Requesting an administrative hearing (opens in a new tab)
15. WAC 182-505-0100: Monthly income standards for MAGI-based programs (opens in a new tab)
16. WAC 182-505-0250: Apple Health for Adults (opens in a new tab)
17. WAC 182-503-0060: Application processing times (opens in a new tab)
18. WAC 182-504-0130: Continued coverage pending an appeal (opens in a new tab)
19. WAC 182-513-1350: Resource standard for long-term care (opens in a new tab)
20. CMS: SHO letter 26-001 on noncitizen Medicaid eligibility from October 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
21. HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
22. HealthCare.gov: Lower costs on Marketplace coverage (opens in a new tab)