Mississippi Medicaid income limits

Last verified: June 2026

Verify current limits with Mississippi Medicaid

Income limits change annually. The federal poverty level figures on this page are for 2025. State-specific limits for Mississippi may differ — confirm current thresholds at https://medicaid.ms.gov.

Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid — most working-age adults do not qualify regardless of income

Mississippi is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid. Adults ages 19–64 without children, a disability, or a qualifying special circumstance generally do not qualify for Mississippi Medicaid regardless of income. The limits below apply only to covered groups: children, pregnant women, parents/caretaker relatives, and aged/blind/disabled individuals. Source: Mississippi Division of Medicaid income limit table effective March 1, 2026.

Mississippi Medicaid income limits — MAGI groups (March 2026)

Mississippi's Division of Medicaid (DOM) publishes income limit tables that are updated periodically. The figures below reflect DOM's published limits effective March 1, 2026. Children and pregnant women use MAGI income rules. Parents/caretakers use a non-MAGI methodology that results in significantly lower effective limits.

Household size	Children (194% FPL)	Pregnant women (194% FPL)
1	$2,648/mo	$2,648/mo
2	$3,557/mo	$3,557/mo
3	$4,466/mo	$4,466/mo
4	$5,375/mo	$5,375/mo
5	$6,284/mo	$6,284/mo
6	$7,193/mo	$7,193/mo

Source: Mississippi Division of Medicaid income limit table, effective March 1, 2026, as published at medicaid.ms.gov. Family size for children's Medicaid is counted as the number of persons in the tax filing unit.

Income limits for parents and caretaker relatives

Mississippi's limits for parents and caretaker relatives are among the most restrictive of any state. These limits use non-MAGI rules — they are not FPL-based in the same way — and result in income limits far below the poverty level.

Household size	Monthly income limit (approx.)	Notes
2	~$374/mo	Parent + 1 child
3	~$493/mo	Parent + 2 children
4	~$600/mo	Parent + 3 children; this is ~22% FPL
5+	~$700–750/mo	Varies; verify with DOM

The coverage gap — and why it exists

Mississippi's parent income limit (~$600/mo for a family of 4) is so low that a parent working even a few hours at minimum wage is likely over the limit. Adults without children have no Medicaid category at all. Per KFF estimates, more than 200,000 Mississippians fall into the coverage gap — they earn too much for Medicaid but too little for marketplace tax credits, which start at 100% FPL. Medicaid expansion would close this gap; as of 2026, Mississippi has not enacted it.

Income and asset limits for aged, blind, and disabled

Seniors and people with disabilities who receive SSI are automatically enrolled in Mississippi Medicaid. Others in this group are evaluated under non-MAGI financial rules. Both income and assets are reviewed.

Category	Income limit	Countable asset limit
SSI recipients	Automatic with SSI (~$967/mo, 2025)	SSI asset rules ($2,000 individual)
Nursing facility care (HCBW)	300% SSI (~$2,901/mo, 2025)	$4,000 individual
Medicare Savings Programs	Varies by program (QMB, SLMB, QI)	Contact DOM — limits updated annually

Sources: Mississippi Division of Medicaid (medicaid.ms.gov), Social Security Administration SSI rates 2025. Asset limits exclude primary home, one vehicle, and certain burial accounts.

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.

These are federal guidelines — state limits may differ

Mississippi may set income limits above or below 138% FPL for specific coverage groups. Limits for children, pregnant women, and seniors typically differ from the standard adult limit. Verify current Mississippi-specific thresholds at https://medicaid.ms.gov.

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 Mississippi's long-term care programs are on the seniors and long-term care page. The thresholds change, so verify current figures with Mississippi Medicaid directly.