New Hampshire Medicaid income limits
Last verified: June 2026
Verify current limits with New Hampshire Medicaid
NH Medicaid uses MAGI-based income for most eligibility groups — no asset test for ACA expansion
NH Medicaid income limits by coverage group (2025)
New Hampshire's children's income limit — 318% FPL — is higher than the national average for CHIP states. This reflects the state's NH Healthy Kids program structure. Most NH neighbors cover children to 200%–250% FPL; New Hampshire's 318% threshold means more working-family children qualify for low-cost or no-cost coverage.
| Coverage group | FPL % | Approx. monthly limit (household of 1) | Approx. monthly limit (household of 4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 19–64 (Granite Advantage) | 138% FPL | ~$1,732/mo | ~$3,576/mo |
| Children under 19 (NH Healthy Kids / CHIP) | 318% FPL | ~$3,990/mo | ~$8,241/mo |
| Pregnant women | 196% FPL | ~$2,459/mo | ~$5,079/mo |
| Parents and caretaker relatives | Varies by household | Varies | — |
| Aged, Blind, and Disabled (ABD) | SSI-linked or medically needy | Varies | — |
Source: NH DHHS Division of Medicaid Services; 2025 HHS Federal Poverty Level guidelines. Monthly figures are approximate — verify current thresholds with DHHS.
No asset test for MAGI-based NH Medicaid
Granite Advantage, NH Healthy Kids, and other MAGI-based Medicaid categories in New Hampshire have no asset test. Savings accounts, vehicles, and home equity do not affect eligibility for these groups. This is standard for all ACA expansion coverage nationally.
Asset limits apply to ABD Medicaid and long-term care programs. The standard ABD resource limit is $2,500 for an individual; married couples have a higher limit. For nursing facility Medicaid, spousal impoverishment protections under 42 U.S.C. § 1396r-5 allow the community spouse to retain assets within federal minimum and maximum CSRA limits. NH DHHS applies a 60-month look-back period for asset transfers before a long-term care Medicaid application.
In and Out Medical Assistance: New Hampshire's spenddown program
New Hampshire has an In and Out Medical Assistance program — the state's version of a Medicaid spenddown. Under this program, individuals with income above the standard Medicaid limit but who have high medical expenses may become eligible once their incurred medical costs reduce their income to the program threshold. This applies primarily to elderly and disabled individuals who would otherwise not qualify.
In and Out Medical Assistance uses a six-month budget period. NH DHHS calculates whether medical expenses during the period bring income below the eligibility threshold. If eligible, the member is enrolled for that period only. The process repeats each six months. An elder law attorney familiar with NH Medicaid rules can advise on how to document spenddown expenses effectively.
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
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 New Hampshire's long-term care programs are on the seniors and long-term care page. The thresholds change, so verify current figures with New Hampshire Medicaid directly.