Ohio Medicaid Monthly Income Limits and Asset Rules

The Ohio Medicaid income limits for 2026 set the monthly ceiling for a single adult at $1,769, which is 133% of the Federal Poverty Level.¹ Your actual limit depends on how many people are in your household and which eligibility category fits your situation: general adult, pregnant, a child, a parent or caretaker relative, or aged, blind, or disabled. Ohio also builds in a 5% income disregard, so a small amount of income above the published number can still leave you eligible.

2026 Monthly Income Limits by Category

Ohio publishes separate thresholds for each eligibility group, each pegged to a different percentage of the Federal Poverty Level. The 2026 FPL for a single person is $15,960 per year, or $1,330 per month, and every Ohio Medicaid limit is calculated from that base.²

Adults Age 19 to 64 (133% FPL)

Most working-age adults without dependents fall here. It covers anyone 19 to 64 who isn’t pregnant or disabled.¹

1 person: $1,769 per month
2 people: $2,399
3 people: $3,028
4 people: $3,658

Pregnant Women (200% FPL)

Pregnancy shifts you into a much higher threshold, and Ohio counts the unborn child as a household member. A pregnant woman with no other dependents applies as a household of two.

2 people (mother plus unborn child): $3,607 per month
3 people: $4,554
4 people: $5,500

Children Without Insurance (206% FPL)

Uninsured children through age 19 get the highest income threshold. A child who already carries other health insurance qualifies at a lower level of 156% FPL.

2-person household: $3,715 per month
3-person household: $4,690
4-person household: $5,665

Parents and Caretaker Relatives (90% FPL)

This category covers parents or relatives who care for a dependent child. The threshold sits well below the general adult limit.

2 people: $1,623 per month
3 people: $2,049
4 people: $2,475

For households larger than four, the limit rises by roughly $425 to $975 per additional person depending on category. The full chart, extending to households of 12, is published by the Ohio Department of Medicaid.¹

Limits for Aged, Blind, or Disabled Ohioans

If you’re 65 or older, blind, or disabled, you follow a different set of rules tied to the federal Supplemental Security Income benefit rate rather than the FPL. The 2026 monthly limits are:³

Individual: $994 per month
Couple: $1,491 per month

These figures match the 2026 federal SSI payment amounts.⁴ The gross number is lower than the general adult limit, but the income-counting method for this group allows more deductions, and many people who already receive SSI qualify for Medicaid automatically without a separate income test.

How Ohio Counts Your Income

For adults, children, and pregnant applicants, Ohio uses Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). MAGI starts with your adjusted gross income from your tax return and adds back tax-exempt interest and non-taxable Social Security benefits.

Income that counts under MAGI: wages and salary, self-employment profits, taxable Social Security, unemployment, retirement distributions, rental income, and most investment income. Income that does not count: Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, child support you receive, veterans benefits, workers’ compensation, gifts, and loans.⁵

The 5% FPL Income Disregard

Federal law requires Ohio to apply a 5-percentage-point FPL deduction at the eligibility step. For a single adult, that adds roughly $67 of breathing room above the $1,769 chart figure. It’s the reason Ohio’s adult Medicaid is often described as covering income up to 138% FPL: the chart is set at 133%, and the disregard lifts the effective ceiling to 138%.¹

Different Rules for the ABD Category

People in the aged, blind, or disabled category don’t use MAGI. Ohio applies an older method that allows deductions for out-of-pocket medical expenses, certain work-related costs for disabled applicants, and a portion of earned income. The gross limit is lower, but those deductions mean some applicants with income above $994 still qualify once their countable income is calculated.

If You’re Over the Limit: Spend-Down

Ohio runs a spend-down program for people in the aged, blind, or disabled category whose income exceeds the threshold. It works like an insurance deductible. You subtract your medical expenses from your income, and when the remainder falls below the Medicaid income standard, you become eligible.

The spend-down amount is the gap between your countable income and the standard. You fill it with bills for doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital stays, medical equipment, and health insurance premiums you’ve already paid. Once your accumulated expenses for the budget period reach the spend-down amount, Medicaid covers the rest. This is the main route into Medicaid for older or disabled Ohioans whose income sits modestly above $994.

The MAGI categories (general adults, children, pregnant women, parents and caretakers) do not have a spend-down option. If your MAGI income is over the limit, you don’t qualify through that pathway.

Do Assets Count?

For MAGI-based Medicaid, no. Adults, children, and pregnant applicants can have savings, investments, or property and still qualify as long as income is within the limits.

For the aged, blind, or disabled category and for nursing home Medicaid, assets do count. Federal SSI rules set the ceilings at $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. Countable assets include bank accounts, stocks, bonds, a second vehicle, and real estate other than your primary home. Excluded: your home, one vehicle, household belongings, burial plots, and up to $1,500 in designated burial funds.

If one spouse enters a nursing home while the other stays at home, the community spouse can keep between $32,532 and $162,660 in assets under Ohio’s 2026 Community Spouse Resource Allowance, depending on the couple’s total countable resources. Ohio also caps the home equity exemption at $752,000 for 2026; equity above that generally disqualifies you from nursing home Medicaid unless your spouse or a dependent relative lives in the home.⁶

Other Requirements That Affect Eligibility

Meeting the income limit isn’t enough on its own. You must be an Ohio resident, have or apply for a Social Security number, and be a U.S. citizen or meet specific non-citizen eligibility rules.⁷

Household size drives which threshold applies to you, and Ohio follows federal MAGI rules for counting members, which generally track your tax filing household. A pregnant applicant’s unborn child counts as a household member, which is why pregnancy alone can shift you into a higher bracket before the baby is born.⁸

1
Ohio Department of Medicaid. 2026 Monthly Financial Eligibility – Children, Families, and Adults
2
HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States
3
Ohio Department of Medicaid. 2026 Monthly Financial Eligibility – Aged, Blind, or Disabled Individuals
4
Social Security Administration. How Much You Could Get From SSI
5
Medicaid.gov. Building MAGI Knowledge Part 2 – Income Counting
6
Ohio Department of Medicaid. Medicaid Eligibility Procedure Letter (MEPL) No. 191 – 2026 COLA
7
Ohio Department of Medicaid. About Who Qualifies for Medicaid
8
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Rule 5160:1-4-01 MAGI-Based Medicaid