| Household | 100% | 138% Medicaid, adults | 150% | 200% Essential Plan below this | 250% | 300% | 400% tax credit ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $22,025 | $23,940 | $31,920 | $39,900 | $47,880 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $29,864 | $32,460 | $43,280 | $54,100 | $64,920 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $37,702 | $40,980 | $54,640 | $68,300 | $81,960 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $45,540 | $49,500 | $66,000 | $82,500 | $99,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $53,379 | $58,020 | $77,360 | $96,700 | $116,040 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $61,217 | $66,540 | $88,720 | $110,900 | $133,080 | $177,440 |
| 7 | $50,040 | $69,056 | $75,060 | $100,080 | $125,100 | $150,120 | $200,160 |
| 8 | $55,720 | $76,894 | $83,580 | $111,440 | $139,300 | $167,160 | $222,880 |
Each additional person adds $5,680 at 100%. HHS figures for 2026; the 2027 guidelines are published in January.
The percentage is a guide: each program verifies with documents and its own income rule. The math runs in your browser and nothing is stored.
What 400 percent of the federal poverty level is
400% of the federal poverty level in 2026 is $63,840 a year for one person, $86,560 for two, $109,280 for three and $132,000 for four. It is the most searched line because it is the last one that changes money for most New Yorkers.
For 2027 marketplace plans, the premium tax credit runs up to 400% and stops there: the IRS table for 2027 ends at “not more than 400%”. It is also the top of New York’s hospital financial assistance law, which caps what a hospital may charge uninsured patients at 20% of the Medicaid rate between 301% and 400%. And it is where Child Health Plus premiums stop at $60 per child; above it, families pay the plan’s full premium.
For the 2027 credit, these 2026 dollar figures are the ones that count, not next year’s: federal rules use the guidelines in effect when open enrollment starts, and open enrollment for 2027 plans started on November 1, 2026. Estimate your 2027 premium.
Which New York program each band reaches
| Income, % of poverty level | One person, per year | Family of four, per year | What it reaches in New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 138% | $22,025 | $45,540 | Medicaid for adults 19 to 64, no premium |
| Up to 154% | $24,579 | $50,820 | Children’s Medicaid, ages 1 to 18 |
| Under 200% | under $31,920 | under $66,000 | Essential Plan for adults 19 to 64, $0 premium |
| Up to 222% | $35,431 | $73,260 | Child Health Plus, free |
| Up to 223% | $35,591 | $73,590 | Medicaid in pregnancy and for babies under 1 |
| Below 200% | under $31,920 | under $66,000 | Hospital financial assistance: charges waived for eligible patients |
| 200% to 300% | up to $47,880 | up to $99,000 | Hospital charges for uninsured patients capped at 10% of what Medicaid would pay; Child Health Plus free to 222%, then $15 to $30 per child |
| 301% to 400% | up to $63,840 | up to $132,000 | Hospital cap of 20%; Child Health Plus $45 to $60 per child; marketplace credit still available |
| Above 400% | over $63,840 | over $132,000 | Full-price marketplace plans; ask hospitals about voluntary discounts |
The Medicaid and pregnancy figures are the state’s own published dollar amounts for 2026; the others are the percentage applied to the HHS guideline. Child Health Plus publishes its lines as monthly income: free up to $2,953 a month for a household of one and $6,105 for four. How the state sets each threshold.
How to find your own percentage
Divide a year of household income by the 100% figure for your household size, then multiply by 100. A household of three earning $50,000: $50,000 ÷ $27,320 = 1.83, so 183%. That household’s adults fall in the Essential Plan band, and its children qualify for free Child Health Plus.
Three things change the answer more than the arithmetic:
- Who is in the household. Health programs count your tax household: you, a spouse you file with and the dependents you claim. Not roommates. Tax household, defined.
- Which income. Coverage programs use modified adjusted gross income for the year ahead, which pre-tax retirement and HSA contributions lower. MAGI.
- Which year. Use the income you expect, not last year’s tax return if this year looks different.
If the result lands within a few points of a line, apply anyway: every program verifies with documents and its own rule.
When the 2027 guidelines come out
HHS publishes new poverty guidelines each January, and the 2026 figures were published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026. The 2027 figures are not out yet. Until they are, every dollar amount on this page is the 2026 guideline, labelled as such.
When the 2027 guidelines appear, three things happen on different clocks. This chart updates the same day. New York’s Medicaid and Child Health Plus tables switch when the state adopts them: in 2026, the Medicaid standards took effect January 1 and the Child Health Plus table applied to applications received on or after February 17. And 2027 marketplace credits keep using the 2026 figures for the whole year. A household near a line can therefore qualify differently in March than it did in December, and it is worth checking again in spring. The federal poverty level, defined.
What this chart does not decide
The chart shows where the published lines fall. It does not decide eligibility, and several groups are measured differently. People 65 and older, and people applying for Medicaid on the basis of disability, are measured under separate non-MAGI rules that compare monthly income to a Medicaid income level, with a resource test in some programs. Immigration status can change which program an adult may use even when income fits. And hospital financial assistance counts household income on the hospital’s own application, not through NY State of Health.
The poverty guideline is also federal: the same figure applies in Manhattan as anywhere in the 48 contiguous states, with no adjustment for New York City’s cost of living. A household that looks comfortable on this chart can still find rent and premiums tight. For a plain-language walk through all of it, the eligibility navigator asks the questions one at a time.
Questions people ask
What is 400 percent of the federal poverty level in 2026?
$63,840 a year for one person, $86,560 for two, $109,280 for three and $132,000 for a family of four, in the 48 contiguous states and D.C.
What is the federal poverty level for a family of 4 in 2026?
$33,000 a year at 100%. At 138% it is $45,540, at 200% it is $66,000 and at 400% it is $132,000.
Is the poverty level different in New York City?
No. The HHS guideline is the same everywhere in the 48 contiguous states. New York sets its own program percentages on top of it, such as 138% for adult Medicaid and under 200% for the Essential Plan.
When will the 2027 federal poverty guidelines be published?
HHS publishes them in January; the 2026 guidelines appeared in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026. This chart updates when the 2027 figures are released.
Which poverty guidelines are used for 2027 marketplace tax credits?
The 2026 guidelines. Federal rules use the figures in effect on the first day of open enrollment, which for 2027 plans was November 1, 2026.
Sources
- HHS ASPE — 2026 poverty guidelines (checked 2026-11-03)
- NYS Department of Health — GIS 26 MA/05, Attachment I: 2026 Medicaid income standards (checked 2026-11-03)
- NYS Department of Health — Child Health Plus eligibility and cost, 2026 (checked 2026-11-03)
- NYS Department of Health — Federal approval to preserve health coverage, Essential Plan changes (March 23, 2026) (checked 2026-11-03)
- New York State Attorney General — Hospital financial assistance (checked 2026-11-03)
- IRS — Rev. Proc. 2026-26: applicable percentage table for 2027 (checked 2026-11-03)
- 26 CFR 1.36B-1(h): federal poverty line used for the premium tax credit (Cornell LII) (checked 2026-11-03)
More in Health Coverage in New York
- A Death in the Family: What Happens to the Coverage — When the policyholder dies, the family has 60 days to tell the plan and keep up to 36 months of COBRA. Later bills are generally claims against the estate.
- Eye Exams and Glasses on Medicaid in New York — New York Medicaid covers an eye exam and glasses about once every 24 months, sooner with a documented reason. Broken pairs are repaired, lost ones replaced.
- Assisted Living That Accepts Medicaid in New York: How the Assisted Living Program Works — In New York, Medicaid reaches assisted living through the Assisted Living Program (ALP) in certain adult homes. Who qualifies, what Medicaid pays, and the rent.
This page explains how the system works. It is not medical advice. More.