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Medicaid Income Limits 2026 by State

The 2026 Medicaid income limit for adults in every state, by household size, with the states that did not expand and what changes in 2027.

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Quick answer: In the 41 states that expanded Medicaid (including DC), adults qualify with income up to 138% of the poverty level: $22,025 a year ($1,835 a month) for one person and $45,540 for a family of four. In the 10 states that did not expand, most adults without children cannot qualify, and parents face much lower limits, as low as 15% in Texas.

2026 Medicaid Income Limits by Household Size

These are the 138% limits for adults in expansion states, based on the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines.

Household sizeYearly (48 states and DC)Monthly (48 states and DC)Monthly (Alaska)Monthly (Hawaii)
1$22,025$1,835$2,294$2,111
2$29,863$2,489$3,111$2,862
3$37,702$3,142$3,927$3,613
4$45,540$3,795$4,744$4,364
5$53,378$4,448$5,560$5,115
6$61,217$5,101$6,377$5,866
7$69,055$5,755$7,193$6,617
8$76,894$6,408$8,010$7,368

Add about $653 a month for each extra person in the 48 states and DC. Many states post slightly different figures because they round or update on their own schedule, usually in the spring.

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Medicaid Income Limits by State (2026)

Adult limits as a percent of the federal poverty level, from KFF's January 2026 survey. Parent limits use a family of three.

StateExpanded?Adults without childrenParents (family of 3)Parent limit in dollars
AlabamaNoNot eligible18%$410 a month
AlaskaYes138%138%$3,927 a month
ArizonaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
ArkansasYes138%138%$3,142 a month
CaliforniaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
ColoradoYes138%138%$3,142 a month
ConnecticutYes138%138%$3,142 a month
DelawareYes138%138%$3,142 a month
District of ColumbiaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
FloridaNoNot eligible26%$592 a month
GeorgiaNo100% (Georgia Pathways, with a work requirement)100%$2,277 a month
HawaiiYes138%138%$3,613 a month
IdahoYes138%138%$3,142 a month
IllinoisYes138%138%$3,142 a month
IndianaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
IowaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
KansasNoNot eligible38%$865 a month
KentuckyYes138%138%$3,142 a month
LouisianaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
MaineYes138%138%$3,142 a month
MarylandYes138%138%$3,142 a month
MassachusettsYes138%138%$3,142 a month
MichiganYes138%138%$3,142 a month
MinnesotaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
MississippiNoNot eligible21%$478 a month
MissouriYes138%138%$3,142 a month
MontanaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
NebraskaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
NevadaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
New HampshireYes138%138%$3,142 a month
New JerseyYes138%138%$3,142 a month
New MexicoYes138%138%$3,142 a month
New YorkYes138%138%$3,142 a month
North CarolinaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
North DakotaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
OhioYes138%138%$3,142 a month
OklahomaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
OregonYes138%138%$3,142 a month
PennsylvaniaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
Rhode IslandYes138%138%$3,142 a month
South CarolinaNoNot eligible67%$1,525 a month
South DakotaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
TennesseeNoNot eligible105%$2,390 a month
TexasNoNot eligible15%$342 a month
UtahYes138%138%$3,142 a month
VermontYes138%138%$3,142 a month
VirginiaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
WashingtonYes138%138%$3,142 a month
West VirginiaYes138%138%$3,142 a month
WisconsinNo100% (without expansion)100%$2,277 a month
WyomingNoNot eligible43%$979 a month

States That Have Not Expanded Medicaid

Ten states have not expanded Medicaid: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In most of them, an adult without children cannot get Medicaid at any income unless they are disabled, pregnant or 65 or older.

  • Wisconsin covers adults up to 100% of the poverty level without full expansion.
  • Georgia covers adults up to 100% through Georgia Pathways, but only with 80 hours a month of work or other qualifying activity.
  • The coverage gap: in non-expansion states, adults under 100% of the poverty level earn too little for Marketplace tax credits, which start at 100%.

Children, Pregnancy, Seniors and Disability

The limits above are for adults 19 to 64. Every state covers children and pregnant women at higher incomes than other adults, through Medicaid or CHIP. People 65 or older and people with disabilities often qualify under separate rules that also count savings and other assets.

What Changes in 2027

A 2025 federal law added work requirements for adults who get Medicaid through expansion. CMS issued the rule in June 2026. By January 1, 2027, adults aged 19 to 64 in this group must show 80 hours a month of work, community service, school or job training, unless they are exempt, for example because they are pregnant or medically frail. A few states, such as Nebraska and Montana, started earlier in 2026.

How to Check Your Own Eligibility

  1. Count your household the way your state does. It is usually you, your spouse and the children you claim.
  2. Add up current monthly income before taxes.
  3. Compare it with your state's limit above, or use our federal poverty level calculator.
  4. Apply through your state Medicaid agency or HealthCare.gov. Only the state can make the final decision.

Got a hospital bill while uninsured? Ask about hospital charity care. Many hospitals give free care up to about 200% of the poverty level.

Sources: KFF State Health Facts, Medicaid Income Eligibility Limits for Adults as a Percent of the Federal Poverty Level (as of January 2026); HHS ASPE, 2026 Poverty Guidelines; CMS interim final rule on Medicaid community engagement requirements (June 2026). Limits change; check with your state Medicaid agency.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the income limit for Medicaid in 2026?
In the 41 states (including DC) that expanded Medicaid, adults qualify with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level. In 2026 that is $22,025 a year ($1,835 a month) for one person and $45,540 a year for a family of four. Alaska and Hawaii are higher.
What is the Medicaid income limit for a family of 4 in 2026?
$45,540 a year, or about $3,795 a month, in expansion states (48 contiguous states and DC). It is about $4,744 a month in Alaska and $4,364 a month in Hawaii. In states that did not expand, parents must have much lower income.
What is the Medicaid income limit in Texas for 2026?
Texas has not expanded Medicaid, so most adults without children cannot qualify at any income. Parents qualify only up to about 15% of the poverty level: $4,098 a year ($342 a month) for a family of three. Children and pregnant women have much higher limits.
What is the Medicaid income limit in Florida for 2026?
Florida has not expanded Medicaid. Parents qualify up to about 26% of the poverty level, which is $7,103 a year ($592 a month) for a family of three. Most adults without children do not qualify.
Does Medicaid use monthly or yearly income?
Medicaid usually looks at your current monthly income, so a recent job loss can make you eligible right away. Marketplace tax credits use your expected income for the whole year.
What changes for Medicaid in 2027?
By January 1, 2027, adults aged 19 to 64 who get Medicaid through expansion must show 80 hours a month of work, community service, school or job training, unless they are exempt. Some states started earlier. The income limits themselves do not change.
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