Medicaid Income Limits 2026 by State and Household Size

Updated · figures checked against the sources below

The 2026 Medicaid income limits for adults by household size and by state, which states did not expand Medicaid, what income counts, and what happens just above the limit.

In the 40 states and DC that expanded Medicaid, adults under 65 qualify with income up to 138% of the poverty line: $22,025 a year for one person and $45,540 for a family of four in 2026, higher in Alaska and Hawaii (HHS poverty guidelines for 2026, 91 FR 1797). The 10 states that did not expand — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming — generally cover adults without children only through narrower programs, and parents only at much lower incomes (CMS / Medicaid.gov, Medicaid, CHIP and BHP Eligibility Levels (state decisions as of December 1, 2023)).

138% of the 2026 poverty guidelines by household size — HHS poverty guidelines for 2026, 91 FR 1797
Household size100% (48 states + DC)138% (48 states + DC)138% Alaska138% Hawaii
1$15,960$22,025$27,531$25,337
2$21,640$29,863$37,329$34,348
3$27,320$37,702$47,127$43,360
4$33,000$45,540$56,925$52,371
5$38,680$53,378$66,723$61,382
6$44,360$61,217$76,521$70,394
7$50,040$69,055$86,319$79,405
8$55,720$76,894$96,117$88,417

Why 138%: the expansion group’s limit is 133% of the poverty line, and the MAGI rules add a disregard of 5 points of income (CMS / Medicaid.gov, Medicaid, CHIP and BHP Eligibility Levels (state decisions as of December 1, 2023)). Each person over 8 adds $7,838. Medicaid uses the guidelines for the current year; the ACA premium tax credit for 2027 coverage uses the same 2026 guidelines. Federal poverty level 2026 and calculator

Check your income against your state’s limit

Adults 19–64 who are not pregnant, blind or disabled, on the 2026 poverty guidelines and CMS’s state table (December 1, 2023) with the 5-point income disregard. States set the final rules and some use monthly income: your state Medicaid agency decides. Not legal or benefits advice.

Medicaid income limits by state

Adults (expansion) and parents, % of the poverty line including the 5-point disregard; dollars for one person in 2026 — CMS / Medicaid.gov, Medicaid, CHIP and BHP Eligibility Levels (state decisions as of December 1, 2023), state decisions as of December 1, 2023
StateExpandedAdult limit1 person, 2026Parents
AlabamaNoNone—18%
AlaskaYes138%$27,531135%*
ArizonaYes138%$22,025111%
ArkansasYes138%$22,02518%*
CaliforniaYes138%$22,025114%
ColoradoYes138%$22,02573%
ConnecticutYes138%$22,025160%
DelawareYes138%$22,02592%
District of ColumbiaYes215%$34,314221%
FloridaNoNone—29%*
GeorgiaNoNone—33%*
HawaiiYes138%$25,337110%
IdahoYes138%$22,02524%*
IllinoisYes138%$22,025138%
IndianaYes138%$22,02520%*
IowaYes138%$22,02549%*
KansasNoNone—38%
KentuckyYes138%$22,02524%*
LouisianaYes138%$22,02524%
MaineYes138%$22,025105%
MarylandYes138%$22,025128%
MassachusettsYes138%$22,025138%
MichiganYes138%$22,02559%
MinnesotaYes138%$22,025138%
MississippiNoNone—24%*
MissouriYes138%$22,02520%*
MontanaYes138%$22,02529%
NebraskaYes138%$22,02563%
NevadaYes138%$22,02531%*
New HampshireYes138%$22,02560%*
New JerseyYes138%$22,02531%*
New MexicoYes138%$22,02542%*
New YorkYes138%$22,025138%
North CarolinaYes138%$22,02541%*
North DakotaYes138%$22,02548%*
OhioYes138%$22,02595%
OklahomaYes138%$22,02538%*
OregonYes138%$22,02538%*
PennsylvaniaYes138%$22,02538%
Rhode IslandYes138%$22,025121%
South CarolinaNoNone—67%
South DakotaYes138%$22,02551%*
TennesseeNoNone—89%*
TexasNoNone—17%*
UtahYes138%$22,02541%*
VermontYes138%$22,02548%*
VirginiaYes138%$22,02554%*
WashingtonYes138%$22,02538%*
West VirginiaYes138%$22,02521%*
WisconsinNoNone—100%
WyomingNoNone—50%*

* The state sets a dollar standard, converted by CMS to a percentage of the poverty line. CMS’s table reflects state decisions as of December 1, 2023 and is the latest it publishes; states can change their programs (Wisconsin covers adults up to 100% under a waiver; Minnesota and New York cover adults from 138% to 200% through a Basic Health Program). Your state Medicaid agency’s figure governs. The table was read from the Internet Archive copy (capture), as medicaid.gov refuses automated readers.

Paid tool Retiring before 65 on savings, your income is something you choose each year: keep it low enough and you may qualify for Medicaid or a large premium tax credit, take a Roth conversion and you may lose both. The ACA Bridge Optimizer, part of Personal PRO, plans each year’s withdrawals and conversions from retirement to Medicare around those lines. A planning tool, not advice. Plan each year under the cliff — Personal PRO ($49) → See the ACA Bridge Optimizer →

What income counts: MAGI

Medicaid for adults under 65 uses modified adjusted gross income — the same income measure as the ACA premium tax credit: adjusted gross income plus untaxed foreign income, tax-exempt interest and the untaxed part of Social Security benefits. It counts current monthly income, so a retiree living on savings with little taxable income can qualify. ACA subsidy planner

The coverage gap in non-expansion states

The premium tax credit generally needs household income of at least 100% of the poverty line (26 U.S.C. §36B(c)(1)(A) (premium tax credit: household income at least 100% of the poverty line)). In a state that did not expand Medicaid, an adult without children with income below 100% ($15,960 for one person in 2026) usually gets neither Medicaid nor a credit. From 100% to 400% the credit applies; above 400% there is no credit (same section).

At 65 and older, or disabled

Medicaid for people 65 and older, blind or disabled uses different rules, with asset limits, and often comes through SSI or a Medicare Savings Program, which pays Medicare premiums: Medicare Savings Program income limits 2026 · Extra Help 2026.

Retiring early on a low income is a year-by-year decision, not a one-time one. QuantCalc runs your whole retirement — Social Security, withdrawals, taxes, health costs and Medicare surcharges — year by year.

Run the free tax-aware simulation →

Common questions

What is the income limit for Medicaid in 2026?

In expansion states, 138% of the poverty line for adults under 65: $22,025 a year for one person, $29,863 for two and $45,540 for four (HHS poverty guidelines for 2026, 91 FR 1797; CMS / Medicaid.gov, Medicaid, CHIP and BHP Eligibility Levels (state decisions as of December 1, 2023)). Non-expansion states set lower limits for parents and usually none for adults without children.

Which states have not expanded Medicaid?

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming (CMS / Medicaid.gov, Medicaid, CHIP and BHP Eligibility Levels (state decisions as of December 1, 2023), as of December 1, 2023).

Why is the Medicaid limit 138% and not 133%?

The law sets 133% of the poverty line, and the MAGI rules subtract 5 points of income before the test, so the effective limit is 138% (CMS / Medicaid.gov, Medicaid, CHIP and BHP Eligibility Levels (state decisions as of December 1, 2023)).

Does Medicaid count Social Security?

For adults under 65 on the MAGI rules, yes: the whole benefit, including the part not taxed, counts toward modified adjusted gross income.

Sources

Every figure on this page is read at build time from a dataset or computed by QuantCalc’s calculation modules, and was checked against the documents above on November 4, 2026. Every figure with its source: JSON. QuantCalc is calculation software, not tax, legal or benefits advice.

Related

Federal poverty level 2026 → 2027 federal poverty level → Medicare Savings Programs 2026 → ACA subsidy planner → Health insurance cost →

Retiring early on a low income is a year-by-year decision, not a one-time one — see the whole picture in the free planner →