Florida Medicaid Income Limits 2026: Who Qualifies

Key takeaways

• Childless non-disabled adults cannot get Florida Medicaid at any income because Florida did not expand Medicaid
• Children qualify up to 211% FPL (age 0-1) or 138% FPL (age 1-18), with Florida Healthy Kids CHIP up to ~200% FPL
• Pregnant applicants qualify up to 196% FPL; parents are capped near 26% FPL (about $590/month for a family of three), creating the coverage gap
• Aged, blind, and disabled Floridians use MEDS-AD with a $1,171/month income limit, effective 4/1/2026, plus a $5,000 single / $6,000 couple asset limit
• Nursing home and HCBS Medicaid allow up to $2,982/month, and Medically Needy share-of-cost starts at $180/month single, $241 couple

Who qualifies for Florida Medicaid in 2026

Florida did not expand Medicaid. That single fact decides eligibility for most adults. Childless, non-disabled adults cannot get Florida Medicaid at any income — even with zero dollars coming in.

Florida runs separate eligibility tracks for kids, pregnant women, parents, and people who are aged, blind, or disabled. Each track has its own income limit, set by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). The track that applies to you depends on which group you fall into, not on a single household number.

Most income limits are tied to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). For 2026, HHS sets the FPL for one person at $15,960 a year and a household of four at $33,000 a year. Florida converts those into the percentage caps below for children and pregnant applicants, and uses fixed monthly dollar limits for the aged, blind, and disabled.

Florida Medicaid income limits by group (2026)

This table shows the income cap for each Florida Medicaid eligibility group. Children and pregnant applicants use a percentage of the FPL; the aged/blind/disabled and long-term-care groups use fixed monthly dollar amounts.

The Florida coverage gap

Because Florida set the parent limit at roughly 26% FPL and excludes childless adults entirely, a large group earns too much for Medicaid but too little for the cheapest Marketplace help. This is the "coverage gap."

A single adult with no children and no qualifying disability does not get Florida Medicaid even at $0 income. A parent in a family of three generally must earn under about $590 a month — roughly 26% of the FPL for three people — to qualify on the parent track. That is far below full-time minimum-wage pay, which is why most working parents in Florida miss the Medicaid line and land in the coverage gap.

The coverage gap is specific to states that did not expand Medicaid. In expansion states, the same parent would qualify up to 138% FPL. Florida's decision not to expand is what leaves the under-$590-a-month parent band and all childless non-disabled adults without a Medicaid option, so the alternative for most of these adults is the federal Marketplace at HealthCare.gov.

Children and Florida Healthy Kids

Kids have the most generous limits. A baby under age 1 qualifies for Florida Medicaid up to 211% of the FPL. Children age 1 through 18 qualify up to 138% FPL.

Above the Medicaid line, Florida Healthy Kids — the state's CHIP program — covers children up to roughly 200% FPL for a low monthly premium. So a child who is over the Medicaid limit often still qualifies for affordable Healthy Kids coverage rather than going uninsured. When you apply for one child program, Florida screens across Medicaid and Healthy Kids together, so families do not have to guess which track fits.

Pregnancy coverage

Pregnant applicants qualify for Florida Medicaid up to 196% of the FPL in 2026. This covers prenatal care, delivery, and postpartum care. Florida extends postpartum coverage for 12 months after the pregnancy ends for those who qualified while pregnant, so coverage does not drop the moment the baby arrives.

Aged, blind, and disabled: MEDS-AD

Floridians who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled and not in a nursing home apply through the MEDS-AD program. The income limit is $1,171 a month for the regular aged/blind/disabled track, effective 4/1/2026.

This track also has an asset test: $5,000 for a single person and $6,000 for a couple. Assets counted here include bank accounts and investments, while a primary home and one vehicle are generally not counted. Many people on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which pays $994 a month for an individual in 2026, fall within both the income and asset limits and so move onto Florida Medicaid through this track.

Long-term care: nursing home and HCBS

Florida uses a higher income cap for institutional care and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. The limit is $2,982 a month — equal to 300% of the SSI benefit rate. The same $2,982 cap applies whether the care is delivered in a nursing facility or at home through an HCBS waiver.

The $2,982 cap is per applicant. A married couple where only one spouse needs care gets spousal-impoverishment protections, so the at-home spouse keeps part of the income and a share of the couple's assets rather than having to spend everything down. These rules are why a married applicant can sometimes qualify even when the couple's combined income looks higher than $2,982.

Medically Needy: the share-of-cost program

If your income is over the MEDS-AD limit, Florida's Medically Needy program can still help through a monthly "share of cost." The income limit to enter this track is very low: $180 a month for a single person and $241 for a couple.

Share of cost works like a deductible. Each month you must incur medical bills equal to the amount your income exceeds that limit. Once your bills hit your share of cost, Medicaid covers the rest of that month's eligible expenses. The share resets every month, so a person with steady income meets it again each month before coverage kicks in.

What income counts: MAGI vs non-MAGI

Florida uses two different counting methods. Children, pregnant applicants, and parents are tested under MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income), which is built from your tax return and uses the FPL percentages — 211%, 196%, 138%, and ~26%. The aged, blind, and disabled tracks are non-MAGI: they use the fixed dollar limits of $1,171/month (MEDS-AD), $2,982/month (long-term care), or the $180/$241 Medically Needy thresholds, and they add the asset test. Knowing which method applies tells you which number on the table above is yours.

How to apply

• Apply online through Florida's ACCESS portal at MyFLFamilies.com, where you can also check status.
• For aged/blind/disabled or long-term-care Medicaid, the Department of Children and Families processes both the income and the $5,000 single / $6,000 couple asset tests.
• Children over the Medicaid limit should be screened for Florida Healthy Kids (CHIP) up to ~200% FPL.
• Adults in the coverage gap with no qualifying category should check HealthCare.gov for Marketplace options, since Florida Medicaid will not cover childless non-disabled adults at any income.