Massachusetts Medicaid Income Limits
Updated August 2026
Massachusetts expanded Medicaid under the ACA and has maintained near-universal coverage since its own Chapter 58 reform in 2006. Income limits are expressed as percentages of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Dollar amounts below reflect the official 2026 MassHealth Income Standards and Federal Poverty Guidelines, effective March 1, 2026. Children's limits are split by age: infants under 1 qualify for MassHealth Standard at a higher threshold than children ages 1–18, and MassHealth Family Assistance (funded by CHIP) extends coverage further for children whose family income is too high for MassHealth Standard.
MassHealth income limits by coverage group (2026)
| Coverage group | Income limit | Approx. annual (1 person) |
|---|---|---|
| Adults ages 19–64 (ACA expansion) | 133% FPL (~138% with the standard MAGI disregard) | ~$22,032/yr |
| Infants under age 1 — MassHealth Standard | up to 200% FPL | ~$31,920/yr |
| Children ages 1–18 — MassHealth Standard | up to 150% FPL | ~$23,940/yr |
| Children ages 1–18 — MassHealth Family Assistance (CHIP) | 150%–300% FPL | up to ~$47,880/yr |
| Pregnant individuals | 200% FPL | ~$31,920/yr |
| Seniors ages 65+ (community-based) | Income + asset tested | $2,000 asset limit (individual) |
| Long-term care / nursing facility | 300% FBR | $2,982/mo (2026) |
| SSI recipients | SSI limit | Automatic eligibility |
Adults ages 19–64 (ACA expansion)
- Income limit
- 133% FPL (~138% with the standard MAGI disregard)
- Approx. annual (1 person)
- ~$22,032/yr
Infants under age 1 — MassHealth Standard
- Income limit
- up to 200% FPL
- Approx. annual (1 person)
- ~$31,920/yr
Children ages 1–18 — MassHealth Standard
- Income limit
- up to 150% FPL
- Approx. annual (1 person)
- ~$23,940/yr
Children ages 1–18 — MassHealth Family Assistance (CHIP)
- Income limit
- 150%–300% FPL
- Approx. annual (1 person)
- up to ~$47,880/yr
Pregnant individuals
- Income limit
- 200% FPL
- Approx. annual (1 person)
- ~$31,920/yr
Seniors ages 65+ (community-based)
- Income limit
- Income + asset tested
- Approx. annual (1 person)
- $2,000 asset limit (individual)
Long-term care / nursing facility
- Income limit
- 300% FBR
- Approx. annual (1 person)
- $2,982/mo (2026)
SSI recipients
- Income limit
- SSI limit
- Approx. annual (1 person)
- Automatic eligibility
Adult MassHealth income limits by household size (2026)
The figures below reflect the 133% FPL column of MassHealth's official 2026 income standards, effective March 1, 2026. MAGI-based eligibility determinations apply a standard 5% income disregard, which functions like an additional 5 percentage points of headroom above these figures.
| Household size | Annual limit (133% FPL) | Monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $21,228 | $1,769/mo |
| 2 people | $28,788 | $2,399/mo |
| 3 people | $36,336 | $3,028/mo |
| 4 people | $43,896 | $3,658/mo |
| 5 people | $51,456 | $4,288/mo |
| 6 people | $59,004 | $4,917/mo |
| 7 people | $66,564 | $5,547/mo |
| 8 people | $74,112 | $6,176/mo |
1 person
- Annual limit (133% FPL)
- $21,228
- Monthly equivalent
- $1,769/mo
2 people
- Annual limit (133% FPL)
- $28,788
- Monthly equivalent
- $2,399/mo
3 people
- Annual limit (133% FPL)
- $36,336
- Monthly equivalent
- $3,028/mo
4 people
- Annual limit (133% FPL)
- $43,896
- Monthly equivalent
- $3,658/mo
5 people
- Annual limit (133% FPL)
- $51,456
- Monthly equivalent
- $4,288/mo
6 people
- Annual limit (133% FPL)
- $59,004
- Monthly equivalent
- $4,917/mo
7 people
- Annual limit (133% FPL)
- $66,564
- Monthly equivalent
- $5,547/mo
8 people
- Annual limit (133% FPL)
- $74,112
- Monthly equivalent
- $6,176/mo
Long-term care financial limits for seniors (2026)
Massachusetts publishes detailed annual financial guidelines for seniors and people in long-term care facilities. The figures below are from the official MassHealth 2026 Program Financial Guidelines, effective January 1, 2026, available at mass.gov.
| Figure | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Individual MassHealth asset limit (community-based) | $2,000 |
| Married couple MassHealth asset limit (community-based) | $3,000 |
| Community spouse minimum resource protection (CSRA) | $32,532 |
| Community spouse maximum resource protection (CSRA) | $162,660 |
| Maximum home equity limit (nursing facility applicant) | $1,130,000 |
| Average daily nursing facility cost (effective 11/01/25) | $450/day |
| LTC income standard (personal needs allowance) | $72.80/month |
Individual MassHealth asset limit (community-based)
- 2026 amount
- $2,000
Married couple MassHealth asset limit (community-based)
- 2026 amount
- $3,000
Community spouse minimum resource protection (CSRA)
- 2026 amount
- $32,532
Community spouse maximum resource protection (CSRA)
- 2026 amount
- $162,660
Maximum home equity limit (nursing facility applicant)
- 2026 amount
- $1,130,000
Average daily nursing facility cost (effective 11/01/25)
- 2026 amount
- $450/day
LTC income standard (personal needs allowance)
- 2026 amount
- $72.80/month
Massachusetts's unusually high home equity limit
Federal rules require states to apply a home equity limit for nursing home Medicaid, but allow states to set it above $688,000. Massachusetts uses $1,130,000 for 2026 — one of the most generous limits among all states and significantly above the federal minimum. A person with substantial home equity in eastern Massachusetts (where real estate values are among the highest in the country) may still qualify for MassHealth long-term care without being required to sell their home.
The home equity exemption applies when a spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child of any age continues to live in the home. If none of these exemptions apply and the applicant is a nursing home resident, home equity above $1,130,000 must be addressed before MassHealth covers nursing home costs.
Medicare Savings Programs (QMB) in Massachusetts
Every income figure on this page so far describes MassHealth's MAGI and long-term-care rules. Residents who are enrolled in both Medicare and MassHealth follow a different, federally defined track: the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). These are three tiers — Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), and Qualifying Individual (QI) — each with its own fixed monthly income and resource limit, unrelated to the FPL percentages used for MassHealth Standard or Family Assistance.
| Program | Situation | Monthly income limit |
|---|---|---|
| QMB | Individual | $1,350/mo |
| QMB | Married couple | $1,824/mo |
| SLMB | Individual | $1,616/mo |
| SLMB | Married couple | $2,184/mo |
| QI | Individual | $1,816/mo |
| QI | Married couple | $2,455/mo |
QMB
- Situation
- Individual
- Monthly income limit
- $1,350/mo
QMB
- Situation
- Married couple
- Monthly income limit
- $1,824/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
QMB is the strongest of the three. It pays the Part B premium ($202.90/month in 2026), the Part A premium if one is owed, and every Medicare deductible, coinsurance charge, and copayment. Federal law flatly bars providers from billing a QMB enrollee for that cost-sharing, no matter the circumstances. SLMB and QI cover only the Part B premium — helpful for a tighter monthly budget, but neither reaches deductibles or coinsurance the way QMB does.
MassHealth, not the Social Security Administration or Medicare, determines eligibility and processes MSP applications — apply through mass.gov/masshealth, the same portal used for the rest of MassHealth. QI is funded through a capped annual federal allotment and awarded first-come, first-served, so approval must be renewed every year. Anyone enrolled in QMB, SLMB, or QI is automatically enrolled in Extra Help, which caps 2026 covered Part D drug costs at $12.65 per prescription.
MassHealth (Massachusetts Medicaid)
- Program financial guidelines for MassHealth applicants and members: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/program-financial-guidelines-for-certain-masshealth-applicants-and-members
Income Limits in Nearby States
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