Massachusetts Medicaid income limits

Last verified: June 2026

MassHealth income limits by coverage group (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), which HHS updates each January. Dollar amounts below reflect the 2025 HHS FPL base.

Source: MassHealth program financial guidelines (mass.gov), 2026 income standards; 2025 HHS FPL applied at stated percentages. Verify current figures at mass.gov/information-for-masshealth-applicants.

Adult MassHealth income limits by household size (2026)

Add approximately $7,590/year per additional person above 8. Source: 2025 HHS FPL applied at 138%. MassHealth uses monthly income at the time of application.

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.

Source: MassHealth Program Financial Guidelines, effective January 1, 2026 (mass.gov/info-details/program-financial-guidelines-for-certain-masshealth-applicants-and-members). The CSRA figures protect spousal assets when one spouse enters a nursing facility. Massachusetts's home equity limit of $1,130,000 is one of the highest in the country — most states cap it at $688,000 or $1,033,000.

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.

How Medicaid income limits work

Medicaid eligibility is tied to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), a measure the Department of Health and Human Services updates each January. States set their income limits as a percentage of FPL — so when FPL increases, the dollar thresholds for Medicaid also shift.

The Affordable Care Act established a standard income methodology called Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) for most Medicaid applicants. Under MAGI, the agency counts wages, salaries, self-employment income, Social Security benefits, and most other taxable income. Assets — a savings account, vehicle, home — are not counted for MAGI-based programs. That changed with the ACA and applies in all states.

States that expanded Medicaid under the ACA cover most adults at or below 138% FPL. In non-expansion states, income limits for adults without dependent children are far lower — sometimes as low as a few hundred dollars per month — or eligibility for that category simply doesn't exist.

What counts as income under MAGI

MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) is the income standard for most Medicaid applicants — children, adults under 65, pregnant women, and parents. It includes wages, salary, tips, self-employment income, unemployment benefits, Social Security retirement and disability benefits (SSDI), and most other taxable income.

It does not count child support received, gifts, loans, inheritances that are not generating income, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. One key MAGI rule: the ACA added a 5% FPL income disregard for most adults, which effectively raises the usable threshold by that amount. So a state with a 133% FPL limit effectively covers adults to about 138% FPL after the disregard.

Assets — a bank account, car, or home — are not counted for MAGI-based programs. That's a major difference from old-law Medicaid, where asset tests were common. If you previously didn't qualify because of assets, your eligibility may have changed after the ACA.

Asset limits and long-term care Medicaid

MAGI-based programs have no asset test. But Medicaid programs that cover long-term care — nursing home care, home and community-based services for seniors — use the old income and asset methodology, which does include asset limits.

Asset limits for long-term care Medicaid vary by state and are updated periodically. Generally, countable assets above the limit must be spent down before an applicant qualifies. Exempt assets — the primary home (in most circumstances), one vehicle, and certain personal property — are not counted.

Specific asset limits for Massachusetts's long-term care programs are on the seniors and long-term care page. The thresholds change, so verify current figures with MassHealth (Massachusetts Medicaid) directly.