Where is the official 2026 federal poverty level (FPL) chart published?
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Executive summary
The official federal poverty guidelines (often called the FPL) are published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on its ASPE poverty-guidelines page and in the Federal Register; ASPE’s poverty-guidelines page is the authoritative starting point for the official chart [1]. State and program sites typically repost the HHS/ASPE figures (for example, Covered California republishes an FPL chart for 2026) but those repostings are derivative, not the original federal publication [2] [1].
1. Where the “official” chart comes from — HHS/ASPE is the source
The department that issues the annual poverty guidelines is HHS, specifically the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE); ASPE’s “Poverty Guidelines” page hosts the official guidelines and links to the Federal Register notices and PDFs that constitute the federal publication of the chart [1]. Any authoritative citation of the federal poverty level should refer back to ASPE’s page and the linked Federal Register publication rather than independent reproductions.
2. Why many websites show FPL charts — state and program reposting
Health marketplaces, state agencies and nonprofits routinely publish FPL tables for their users — for example, Covered California provides a “Program Eligibility by Federal Poverty Level for 2026” chart on its site [2]. Those charts are practical and aimed at consumers, but they are based on the HHS/ASPE figures; they are useful for quick checks but are derivative of the federal release [2] [1].
3. Federal Register as the formal legal publication
ASPE’s page points users to the Federal Register notice where the poverty guidelines are placed on public display and formally published; that Federal Register entry is the legal instrument for the guidelines (ASPE notes the guidelines are “on public display at the Federal Register”) [1]. When a precise legal citation or the formal effective date is needed, use the Federal Register reference linked from ASPE [1].
4. Practical guidance for consumers and program administrators
For practical use — program eligibility, premium tax credit calculations, or state benefit charts — agencies often provide formatted PDFs and calculators (Covered California’s FPL PDF is one such example) that apply the HHS numbers to program thresholds [2]. Those tools are convenient, but they do not replace citing the HHS/ASPE publication when an official source is required [2] [1].
5. Timing and “coverage year” nuance — how FPL numbers are applied
Many consumer-focused sites explain that marketplace subsidy eligibility may use the prior year’s guidelines for a coverage year (for instance, 2026 coverage can be based on 2025 poverty guidelines) and that agencies apply FPL numbers according to their program calendars [3] [4]. Users should check both the HHS publication date and program guidance (e.g., state Medicaid rules or marketplace instructions) to know which year’s guideline applies to a given benefit period [1] [4].
6. How to cite the official chart — direct links to use
To cite the official federal chart, link to ASPE’s poverty-guidelines page and the specific Federal Register or PDF it links to; ASPE is the hub that hosts prior guidelines, Federal Register references, and the poverty-guidelines API noted on the page [1]. If you must show a downloadable table for a public-facing document, it is acceptable to mirror the HHS table, but include the ASPE Federal Register citation as the primary source [1] [2].
7. Conflicting copies and small discrepancies — check the federal file
When state or nonprofit PDFs show slightly different add-ons (e.g., amounts per additional household member vary by document), the discrepancy usually stems from transcription or a program-specific rounding or calendar choice; the federal ASPE/Federal Register file is the tie-breaker. Examples of many reposted charts exist (Covered California, state agencies), so when numbers diverge, consult ASPE’s published PDF or the Federal Register notice for the canonical figure [2] [1].
Limitations and next steps: available sources do not mention the specific URL of the 2026 Federal Register PDF in these search results; to obtain the exact Federal Register link for the 2026 guidelines, consult ASPE’s “Poverty Guidelines” page which aggregates prior guidelines and the Federal Register references [1].