Delaware Medicaid Income Limits

Updated August 2026

Delaware's 2026 countable income table, published by DMMA, shows exact monthly dollar limits for each coverage category. The table below reflects those official figures. Delaware does not use an asset test for standard MAGI-based Medicaid — only income is assessed for adults, children, and pregnant women.

Delaware Medicaid income limits by coverage group (2026)

Coverage group	FPL %	Monthly limit (household of 1)	Monthly limit (household of 4)
Adults ages 19–64 (ACA expansion)	133% FPL	$1,769/mo	$3,658/mo
Children (Medicaid)	142% FPL	$1,889/mo	$3,905/mo
Pregnant women (Medicaid)	212% FPL	$2,820/mo	$5,830/mo
Delaware Healthy Children Program (CHIP)	212% FPL	$2,820/mo	$5,830/mo
QMB (Medicare Savings — premium payment)	100% FPL	$1,330/mo	$2,750/mo
Nursing facility / LTC (250% SSI)	250% SSI	$2,485/mo	N/A (individual)

Adults ages 19–64 (ACA expansion)

FPL %: 133% FPL
Monthly limit (household of 1): $1,769/mo
Monthly limit (household of 4): $3,658/mo

Children (Medicaid)

FPL %: 142% FPL
Monthly limit (household of 1): $1,889/mo
Monthly limit (household of 4): $3,905/mo

Pregnant women (Medicaid)

FPL %: 212% FPL
Monthly limit (household of 1): $2,820/mo
Monthly limit (household of 4): $5,830/mo

Delaware Healthy Children Program (CHIP)

FPL %: 212% FPL
Monthly limit (household of 1): $2,820/mo
Monthly limit (household of 4): $5,830/mo

QMB (Medicare Savings — premium payment)

FPL %: 100% FPL
Monthly limit (household of 1): $1,330/mo
Monthly limit (household of 4): $2,750/mo

Nursing facility / LTC (250% SSI)

FPL %: 250% SSI
Monthly limit (household of 1): $2,485/mo
Monthly limit (household of 4): N/A (individual)

No asset test for standard Delaware Medicaid

Per DMMA: "You can have a car, bank account, and a home and still qualify for Medicaid. DMMA does not look at any of your resources when determining your eligibility for Medicaid." This is a direct statement from DMMA's official eligibility page. Delaware eliminated the asset test for standard Medicaid consistent with ACA requirements.

The nursing facility program is different. LTC Medicaid requires gross monthly income to fall below 250% of the SSI income standard ($2,485/month for an individual in 2026). If income exceeds this limit, the applicant must establish a Miller Trust (Qualified Income Trust) to qualify. The asset limit for nursing facility Medicaid is $2,000 for a single applicant. Federal spousal impoverishment rules apply.

Delaware Healthy Children Program: CHIP at 212% FPL

The Delaware Healthy Children Program (DHCP) is Delaware's CHIP program, covering children up to age 19 at or below 212% FPL. Per the 2026 DMMA income table, the monthly limit is $2,820 for a household of 1 and $5,830 for a household of 4.

Children who qualify for DHCP receive the same comprehensive coverage as Medicaid-enrolled children through the Diamond State Health Plan MCOs. Apply through ASSIST at assist.dhss.delaware.gov — the same application screens for both Delaware Medicaid and DHCP.

Medicare Savings Programs (QMB) in Delaware

The QMB row in the income table above shows that Delaware sets Qualified Medicare Beneficiary eligibility at 100% FPL — but the dollar figure alone doesn't explain what the program actually does. QMB is the most comprehensive of Delaware's Medicare Savings Programs: once enrolled, DMMA pays the enrollee's Part B premium ($202.90/month in 2026), the Part A premium if one is owed, and every Medicare deductible, coinsurance amount, and copayment the enrollee would otherwise face.

Program	Situation	Monthly income limit
SLMB	Individual	$1,616/mo
SLMB	Married couple	$2,184/mo
QI	Individual	$1,816/mo
QI	Married couple	$2,455/mo

SLMB

Situation: Individual
Monthly income limit: $1,616/mo

SLMB

Situation: Married couple
Monthly income limit: $2,184/mo

QI

Situation: Individual
Monthly income limit: $1,816/mo

QI

Situation: Married couple
Monthly income limit: $2,455/mo

That coverage comes with a legal guarantee, not just a benefit description. Federal law prohibits any provider — hospital, doctor, pharmacy, or specialist — from billing a QMB enrollee for Medicare cost-sharing, even if the provider's system doesn't flag the person's QMB status. A Delaware Medicaid beneficiary who receives a bill for a Medicare deductible or copay after enrolling in QMB should ask the provider to rebill or contact DMMA directly.

Delaware also offers two narrower Medicare Savings tiers not shown in the table above: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) and Qualifying Individual (QI). Both pay the Part B premium only, at higher income levels than QMB, and QI in particular has a capped yearly federal budget distributed first-come, first-served, requiring reapplication each year.

All three programs — QMB, SLMB, and QI — trigger automatic enrollment in Extra Help, the Medicare Part D subsidy that limits what enrollees pay per covered prescription to $12.65 in 2026. Apply for any of them through the Delaware Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA), either online at assist.dhss.delaware.gov or at dhss.delaware.gov/dmma — not through Medicare.