The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a CMCS Informational Bulletin with the updated 2026 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Standards. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updates the poverty guidelines at least annually and these updates are applied to eligibility criteria for programs such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
The 2.6 percent price increase between calendar years 2024 and 2025 is reflected in the 2026 guidelines. For a family or household of 4 persons living in one of the 48 contiguous states or the District of Columbia, the poverty guideline for 2026 is $33,000. The new FPL guideline was published in the Federal Register and can be accessed here.
Texas determines Medicaid and CHIP eligibility for services based on differing percentages from the FPL guideline. The Texas eligibility percentages applied to the 2025 FPL can be found here.
