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What is the FPL for 2026
Executive summary
The “FPL” refers to the federal poverty level, the annual income thresholds HHS publishes that many programs use to determine eligibility; eligibility for 2026 coverage and many 2026 program rules will be based on the 2025 poverty guidelines (the 2025 FPL numbers) [1] [2]. Different programs and states apply those numbers differently — for example, premium tax credits for Marketplace plans use the prior year’s FPL (2025 guidelines for 2026 coverage) while some states wait until February–April 2026 to adopt the new HHS figures for Medicaid calculations [1] [2] [3].
1. What “FPL” means and which year matters for 2026 coverage
Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is shorthand for the HHS poverty guidelines used to judge income eligibility for programs such as Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA premium tax credits [4] [5]. Crucially for coverage year 2026, Marketplace premium tax credit eligibility is determined by comparing a household’s projected 2026 income against the 2025 poverty guidelines — in other words, the FPL numbers published in 2025 are used for 2026 eligibility calculations [1] [2].
2. How different programs use the FPL (and timing differences)
Not every program uses the FPL the same way or on the same calendar. The federal Marketplace uses the prior year’s guidelines for premium tax credit eligibility (2025 FPL for 2026 coverage) [1] [2]. State Medicaid programs typically adopt HHS’s annual updates on a slightly lagged schedule — some states switch to the new figures between February and April 2026 — which means operational Medicaid thresholds may still reflect the 2025 FPL into early 2026 in many places [2] [3]. States can also set program-specific percentage bands of FPL (for instance, Medi‑Cal in California treats ~138% FPL as a key threshold for Medicaid eligibility) [6].
3. Headline numeric examples and what they imply
Reporter and policy outlets are already using 2025 FPL figures to project 2026 dollar levels: KFF cites examples such as roughly $23,475 for an individual and $48,225 for a household of four at 150% of FPL in 2026 projections (which are derived from 2025 guideline numbers used for 2026 coverage rules) [7]. The California Health Care Foundation projected that “400% of FPL” in 2026 would be around $63,000 for an individual and roughly $130,000 for a family of four — illustrating how program cutoffs translate into real-dollar thresholds that matter for subsidies [8]. Note that different sources may round or project slightly differently; all these uses are anchored to the 2025-published guidelines applied for 2026 coverage [1] [8] [7].
4. Policy changes that affect who benefits at those FPL levels
Two important policy moves change how FPL intersects with aid in 2026. First, the expanded ARP-era subsidy rules that let some households above 400% of FPL qualify for credits are scheduled to end in 2026 unless Congress acts, meaning the familiar “sliding scale” above 400% may disappear and leave households above 400% without federal premium tax credits [5] [2]. Second, eligibility rules for some immigrant groups and special enrollment periods are changing in ways keyed to FPL cutoffs — for example, KFF notes alterations to who may receive subsidies at incomes below 100% or 150% of FPL starting in 2026 [7].
5. State variation and program-specific thresholds
States layer their own rules on top of federal guidelines. Covered California’s guidance and charts show program eligibility cutoffs such as Medi‑Cal eligibility often up to ~138% FPL, while other state materials show QHP/APTC tables and Medicaid-for-children cutoffs expressed as percentages of FPL [6] [9]. Massachusetts and other states explicitly state they will use 2025 FPL tables to determine plan-year 2026 eligibility [3]. This means an individual’s actual qualification can differ by state even though the federal FPL numbers are the national reference [3] [6].
6. What reporters and the public should watch next
Authoritative HHS updates appear annually (ASPE and HHS publication channels publish the guidelines; 2025 data were made available and the 2025 guidelines are the operative numbers used for 2026 coverage calculations) [10] [1]. Watch for state-level adoption timing (many will switch between Feb–Apr 2026) and for congressional or administrative changes that could extend enhanced subsidies or alter eligibility rules tied to FPL; if Congress extends the ARP enhancements, the treatment of incomes above 400% of FPL could change again [2] [5].
Limitations and final note: available sources describe that 2026 coverage eligibility uses the 2025 FPL figures and provide example dollar translations and program cutoffs, but the exact HHS table numbers for 2026 coverage (the row-by-row dollar amounts by household size) were presented in 2025 materials and are cited above as the operative standard [1] [10]. Where a specific numeric FPL table cell (e.g., “2025 FPL for a household of 3 = $X”) is needed, consult the HHS/ASPE poverty guidelines or your state’s official FPL chart referenced in these materials [10] [3].