To qualify for Medicaid in Louisiana, you must live in the state, be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, and fit into one of the program’s covered groups: a parent or caretaker relative, a pregnant woman, a child, an adult between 19 and 64 earning under 138% of the federal poverty level, or someone who is 65 or older, blind, or disabled. Income limits apply to everyone. Asset limits apply only to the aged, blind, and disabled pathway and to long-term care applicants. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) runs the program and makes the final eligibility call.
Covered Eligibility Groups
Low income alone is not enough. You also have to belong to a group the program recognizes. Most applicants are evaluated using Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), which looks at your tax-return income with a few adjustments. The MAGI groups are:
- Parents and caretaker relatives who live with and care for a dependent child.
- Pregnant women, covered through 60 days postpartum.
- Children under 19, through CHAMP, LaCHIP, or the LaCHIP Affordable Plan.
- Adults ages 19 through 64 without Medicare, under the Medicaid expansion.
- Specific smaller groups, including people with breast or cervical cancer, people with tuberculosis, and those applying only for family planning services.
These categories are set in Louisiana’s administrative code.1Cornell Law School. Louisiana Admin Code Tit. 50, III-2327 – Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) Groups
People who are 65 or older, blind, or have a disability apply through a separate Aged, Blind, and Disabled (ABD) pathway. ABD eligibility usually depends on a disability finding from the Social Security Administration or Louisiana’s Medical Eligibility Determination Team, and these applicants face both an income test and an asset test.
2026 Income Limits for Adults and Pregnant Women
Expansion adults and pregnant women qualify if their income is at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. That figure already includes a 5% income disregard applied on top of the 133% statutory threshold.2Louisiana Department of Health. Z-200 Federal Poverty Income Guidelines The 2026 federal poverty level for a single person in the contiguous United States is $15,960 per year.3Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
Translated to monthly caps for 2026:
- 1 person: about $1,835 per month
- 2 people: about $2,489 per month
- 3 people: about $3,142 per month
- 4 people: about $3,795 per month
These figures come from the 2026 federal poverty guidelines.4U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States Count everyone in your household who files taxes together or could be claimed as a dependent, and report income as gross monthly earnings before taxes or deductions.
2026 Income Limits for Children
Kids get higher ceilings than adults, and Louisiana uses three tiers:
- CHAMP covers children in families at or below 133% of the federal poverty level with full Medicaid.
- LaCHIP covers children in families up to 212% of the federal poverty level (effectively 217% with the 5% disregard).
- The LaCHIP Affordable Plan extends coverage to children in families up to 250% of the federal poverty level.1Cornell Law School. Louisiana Admin Code Tit. 50, III-2327 – Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) Groups
A family can be over the income cutoff for adult Medicaid and still have children who qualify under one of these programs.
Asset Limits for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled
If you apply through the ABD pathway or for long-term care coverage, Louisiana looks at your countable resources on top of your income. The 2026 resource caps are $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.5Louisiana Department of Health. Z-900 Resource Limits by Program
Countable resources include bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and certain property. Your primary home, one vehicle, personal belongings, and burial funds generally do not count. MAGI-group applicants (parents, pregnant women, children, expansion adults) have no asset test at all.
If One Spouse Needs Long-Term Care
When one spouse enters long-term care through Medicaid and the other stays at home, federal spousal impoverishment rules protect the at-home spouse. The Community Spouse Resource Allowance lets the at-home spouse keep between $32,532 and $162,660 in countable resources for 2026, with the exact figure set by the couple’s combined resources on the application date.6Medicaid.gov. 2026 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards The at-home spouse also keeps a monthly income allowance, typically between roughly $2,644 and $4,067 for 2026.
The 60-Month Look-Back
Long-term care applicants face one more hurdle. Medicaid reviews every asset transfer you or your spouse made during the 60 months before you applied. If you gave away money or property for less than fair market value during that window, the state calculates a penalty period during which you cannot receive long-term care benefits. The length of the penalty depends on the difference between the asset’s value and what you received for it.7Louisiana Department of Health. Long-Term Care FAQ A gift to a family member two years before applying still counts.
If Your Income Is Too High: The Medically Needy Spend-Down
Louisiana’s Medically Needy Program offers a path for people who have too much income for standard Medicaid but face large medical bills. Under this option, qualifying medical expenses are subtracted from your income until it drops below the medically needy threshold. The process is called a spend-down.8Cornell Law School. Louisiana Admin Code Tit. 50, III-2313 – Medically Needy Program
Hospital charges, prescriptions, and skilled nursing facility costs all count toward the spend-down. Once your remaining income falls to the eligible level, you receive Medicaid coverage for a certification period of up to three months. The calculation resets each certification period, so continuing coverage depends on continuing to have medical expenses that bring you under the limit.
Documents You’ll Need to Prove You Qualify
Whichever pathway fits your situation, gather these records before applying so your file is complete:
- Social Security numbers for everyone in the household, plus proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status (birth certificate, passport, or immigration documents).
- Proof of Louisiana residency, such as a recent utility bill or lease.
- Income verification: current pay stubs, your most recent tax return, or award letters from Social Security or unemployment.
- For ABD and long-term care applicants, resource documentation: bank statements, investment records, and information about any property or vehicles.
Report household size and gross monthly income accurately. An incomplete picture is the most common reason a technically eligible applicant gets denied or delayed.