Missouri’s CHIP income limits by family size run from 150% to 300% of the federal poverty level, with the exact dollar figures scaling by how many people live in your household. For 2026, a family of four qualifies with household income between roughly $49,500 and $99,000 per year.1HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States Families earning less than 150% of the poverty level generally qualify for standard Medicaid instead, and households above 300% exceed the program’s ceiling.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 208.631 – Program Established, Terminates, When – Definitions The program is officially called MO HealthNet for Kids.
2026 Income Limits by Family Size
Missouri ties CHIP eligibility to the federal poverty guidelines that HHS updates each year. The statute sets 150% of the poverty level as the lower boundary for CHIP (below that, children typically move to full Medicaid) and 300% as the upper boundary.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 208.631 – Program Established, Terminates, When – Definitions
Here are the 2026 annual household income ranges that fall inside the CHIP window:1HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States
- Family of 2: $32,460 to $64,920
- Family of 3: $40,980 to $81,960
- Family of 4: $49,500 to $99,000
- Family of 5: $58,020 to $116,040
- Family of 6: $66,540 to $133,080
Each additional person in the household adds $5,680 to the base poverty figure, which raises both the 150% floor and the 300% ceiling. Income above the ceiling for your family size disqualifies the child from CHIP coverage.
Monthly Premiums by Income Tier
CHIP in Missouri is not free. Families owe a monthly premium that depends on which of three income tiers they fall into: more than 150% up to 185% of the poverty level, more than 185% up to 225%, or more than 225% up to 300%.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 208.640 – Co-Payments Required, When, Amount, Limitations The Department of Social Services publishes a chart that scales the dollar amounts with family size.
As of April 1, 2026, the monthly premium amounts include:4Missouri Department of Social Services Manuals. MO HealthNet for Kids – CHIP Premium Chart
- Family of 2: $25 (lowest tier), $81 (middle tier), $198 (highest tier)
- Family of 4: $38, $124, $301
- Family of 6: $50, $165, $405
Premiums continue to climb with household size and reach up to $714 per month for a family of twelve in the highest tier.4Missouri Department of Social Services Manuals. MO HealthNet for Kids – CHIP Premium Chart Two protections cap what families actually pay. Total cost-sharing for the year cannot exceed 5% of the family’s income, and well-child visits and immunizations carry no copays at any tier.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 208.640 – Co-Payments Required, When, Amount, Limitations
How Missouri Counts Your Income
The income the state compares against the limits is not your gross paycheck. Missouri uses Modified Adjusted Gross Income, a federal tax-based calculation that mirrors most of what appears on your return with a few add-backs.5Missouri Department of Social Services Manuals. Family MO HealthNet MAGI – 1805.030.00 Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) Methodology
MAGI starts with your adjusted gross income and adds tax-exempt interest, non-taxable Social Security benefits, and excluded foreign income. It leaves out child support you receive, veterans’ benefits, workers’ compensation, gifts, and pre-tax salary deferrals like 401(k) contributions. That means your MAGI can land above or below your gross wages, so running the numbers before you apply is worth the time.
Household size for MAGI purposes is the tax filer, the spouse if filing jointly, and every tax dependent claimed on the return. Adding a dependent raises the applicable poverty threshold, which can keep a family inside the eligible range even when income rises.
Self-Employment Income
For self-employed parents, income equals gross business revenue minus allowable expenses. The Family Support Division usually verifies the figure with the previous year’s tax return and all schedules. If you haven’t filed yet, you’ll need at least three months of business ledgers so the agency can project an annual amount.6Missouri Department of Social Services Manuals. Family MO HealthNet MAGI – 1805.030.00 Income Evidence FSD only requests documentation when a self-reported amount looks questionable, so an accurate application is the simplest path.
Other Eligibility Rules Beyond Income
Income is the main gate, but not the only one. A child must be 18 or younger, live in Missouri, and be a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen. A Social Security number is required, or the child must apply for one during the process.7Missouri Department of Social Services. Eligibility Requirements for MO HealthNet Coverage
The statute also requires the child to be “uninsured,” meaning they don’t have access to affordable employer-sponsored coverage or other health insurance.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 208.631 – Program Established, Terminates, When – Definitions “Affordable” is a statutory benchmark pegged to a percentage of the poverty level that scales with the family’s income tier; a plan that costs more than that benchmark doesn’t count as affordable, and neither does a plan that excludes a child’s preexisting condition.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 208.640 – Co-Payments Required, When, Amount, Limitations A family turned away by one employer plan may still qualify.
Missouri previously required children to be uninsured for six months before applying. The legislature removed that waiting period in 2014, and no gap-in-coverage requirement exists today.8Missouri Department of Social Services. MO HealthNet Children’s Health Insurance Program
What Happens if Your Income Changes
Qualifying once protects coverage for a full year even if your income later rises above the limit. Since January 2024, federal rules require Missouri to give children twelve months of uninterrupted coverage from the date of their eligibility determination. The Family Support Division cannot cut off a child mid-year because the household got a raise or added a second earner.9Missouri Department of Social Services. Continuous Eligibility for Children FAQs
Only a short list of events ends coverage before the twelve months run out: the child turns 19, the family asks to end the coverage, the child moves out of Missouri, or the original determination was based on fraud.9Missouri Department of Social Services. Continuous Eligibility for Children FAQs At the end of the twelve-month cycle, FSD rechecks income against that year’s poverty guidelines, and the limits above apply again.