Fact check: What is 400% of the federal poverty level

1. What analysts explicitly claimed and what they left out, clearly stated

The three analytic notes make three distinct claims relevant to 400% of the FPL: one documents a state policy change raising subsidy eligibility from 400% to 600% of FPL (California’s Covered California context) without giving a numeric conversion for 400% ^[2]. A second highlights program eligibility distributions — noting median income eligibility for children in Medicaid/CHIP at 255% of FPL as of January 2022 and referencing about 700,000 uninsured children living in families at or above 400% of the poverty threshold — again without a numerical 400% figure ^[3]. The third provides the numeric basis: FPL of $24,526 for a family of three in 2023, enabling a direct calculation to 400% ^[1].

2. The straightforward arithmetic: how the $98,104 number is produced

The arithmetic in the provided material is simple and direct: take the reported 2023 FPL of $24,526 for a family of three and multiply by four to reach 400% of that threshold, yielding $98,104 ^[1]. This calculation is the only explicit numeric conversion to 400% present among the materials. Because the third analysis explicitly gives the base FPL figure and a publication date of December 18, 2024, the $98,104 value ties to that base year and household size as presented ^[1]. The other analyses do not contradict this arithmetic; they simply omit a numeric conversion ^{[2] [3]}.

3. Policy context that makes 400% a meaningful threshold

The documents show why 400% of FPL matters: it functions as an eligibility and subsidy cutoff in health coverage discussions. One analysis notes a policy choice to expand subsidies by raising the eligibility ceiling from 400% to 600% of FPL, signaling that 400% has been a common policy boundary for affordability programs ^[2]. Another analysis places uninsured children in the context of income thresholds, reporting a median program eligibility of 255% FPL and noting a substantial population of uninsured children in families at or above 400% FPL, which frames how 400% intersects with coverage gaps and program reach ^[3].

4. What the source information reveals about recency and reliability

Only one of the provided analyses carries a clear date: December 18, 2024 ^[1]. The other two items lack publication dates in the materials supplied ^{[2] [3]}. Because the numeric conversion to $98,104 depends on the 2023 FPL figure explicitly provided in the dated document, that conversion is tied to the 2023 base and the December 2024 reporting. The undated analyses supply relevant policy observations but cannot be placed precisely in time from the provided metadata, which limits temporal comparison across materials ^{[2] [3] [1]}.

5. Key caveats and missing details the materials do not supply

The assembled analyses do not supply a complete matrix of FPL values across household sizes and calendar years, nor do they offer the federal tables for years beyond 2023; they only present a single numeric base point for a family of three in 2023 ^[1]. The policy notes referencing 400% or 600% illuminate how thresholds are used administratively, but they omit granular rules like household composition adjustments, geographic variations, or annual updates that normally accompany federal poverty guidelines ^{[2] [3]}. Those omissions mean the $98,104 figure should be treated as a specific example, not a universal constant.

6. Practical takeaway for readers seeking to use this figure

If you need a working number for 400% of the FPL as presented in these analyses, use $98,104 for a family of three in 2023, based on the provided base FPL of $24,526 ^[1]. For policy discussion, the materials collectively show that 400% has been a policy-relevant threshold affecting subsidy eligibility and coverage gaps, and that some states have moved to expand eligibility beyond that level ^{[2] [3]}. Treat the $98,104 as anchored to the 2023 FPL and to the household size specified in the source.

7. Recommended next steps to verify or update the number

To confirm or update this calculation for current use, consult authoritative federal poverty guidelines by year and household size and then multiply the applicable base by four; the provided materials demonstrate the method but do not supply a broader table of values ^[1]. The existing policy notes underscore why that step matters: shifts in program ceilings, like moving from 400% to 600%, change the population eligible for subsidies and should