Poverty level · threshold
138% of the federal poverty level in 2026
The number that decides whether an adult in an expansion state gets Medicaid or has to look at the Marketplace.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
In 2026, 138% of the federal poverty level is $22,025 a year, or $1,835 a month, for a single adult in the 48 states and DC, and $45,540 a year for a family of four. It is the income ceiling for Medicaid for adults aged 19 to 64 in the 41 jurisdictions that adopted the ACA expansion. The law sets the expansion at 133% of the poverty line, and federal rules add a disregard of 5 percentage points to every MAGI-based test, which is why the working figure is 138%. States apply the current year's guideline, $15,960 for one person in 2026, so the line moves up each spring when they switch tables. Above it, an adult can turn to the Marketplace, where the 2026 premium tax credit begins at 100% of the 2025 guideline and the lowest expected contribution applies.
138% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
138% of poverty, per year
$37,702
| Per month | $3,142 |
| Per week | $725 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
Where the 138% line comes from
The ACA expansion group covers adults 19 to 64 who are not pregnant, not on Medicare and have income up to 133% of the federal poverty level. The MAGI rules of 42 CFR 435.603 then subtract 5% of the poverty line from income before comparing it with the limit, which is the same as raising the limit to 138%. CMS lists every state at "133%" in its table of eligibility levels, and the agencies publish monthly charts that already include the disregard. Both describe the same rule.
The 2026 amounts
| Household size | Per year (48 states, DC) | Per month | Per month, Alaska | Per month, 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 |
A raise at the edge of the line
Medicaid looks at current monthly income, not the year. A single worker in an expansion state earning $1,800 a month is under the 2026 line of $1,835; a raise to $1,900 puts her over it. Her Marketplace credit would then be computed on yearly income against the 2025 guideline, and the benchmark plan would cost her roughly $60 a month before cost-sharing help. Reporting the change on time avoids a coverage gap and an end-of-year surprise, since an advance credit taken too high is now repaid in full.
Which income counts at 138%
MAGI is the adjusted gross income of the tax return plus untaxed foreign income, tax-exempt interest and the untaxed part of Social Security benefits. SSI, child support received, veterans' disability payments and most gifts are left out. Self-employed workers count profit, not receipts. A household is built around tax filing: a single adult who is claimed as a dependent by a parent may be counted in the parent's household, which can push the family's income over the line even when the adult earns little.
Who is outside the 138% rule
Children, pregnant women and parents have their own groups, usually with higher limits for children and pregnancy and lower ones for parents in non-expansion states. People 65 and older and people qualifying through disability are tested under different rules, often with an asset limit. From 2027, expansion adults will also have to meet a work or activity requirement, explained in Medicaid work requirements. Your state's own chart is on its state page, and the Medicaid income limits calculator applies it to your household.