The Missouri Medicaid income limit for most working-age adults in 2026 is about $22,025 a year for a single person, which is 138% of the federal poverty level. That figure applies to the Medicaid expansion group under MO HealthNet, and it’s the category most adults ages 19 through 64 fall into. The ceiling moves up or down depending on whether you’re applying as a child, a pregnant woman, a parent, or someone who is aged, blind, or disabled, and Missouri builds in a 5% income cushion that can pull you back into eligibility if you’re slightly over.
Income Limits by Eligibility Group in 2026
Every MO HealthNet income limit is tied to the federal poverty level, which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updates each January. For 2026, the poverty level for a single person in the 48 contiguous states is $15,960, rising to $27,320 for a household of three and $33,000 for a household of four.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines Missouri applies a specific percentage of those figures to each eligibility group. The Missouri Department of Social Services publishes its official tables at mydss.mo.gov, typically a few months after the federal guidelines take effect.
Adults Ages 19 Through 64 (Expansion Group)
Since Missouri expanded Medicaid in 2021, most adults ages 19 through 64 qualify if household income stays at or below 133% of the federal poverty level. With the 5% disregard, the effective ceiling is 138%. For a single person in 2026, that works out to roughly $22,025 a year. For a household of three, it’s about $37,702.2Missouri Department of Social Services. Benefit Program Income Limits This is the broadest category and the one most working-age adults without dependents fall under.
Pregnant Women and Infants Under Age One
Pregnant women and infants under one have a higher ceiling: 196% of the federal poverty level, with the disregard pushing the effective limit to 201%. For a single pregnant woman in 2026, that comes to about $32,080 a year. Household size for a pregnant applicant includes the unborn child, which can raise the limit if the household is otherwise small.3Missouri Department of Social Services. MO HealthNet for Pregnant Women
Children Ages 1 Through 18
MO HealthNet for Kids covers children ages 1 through 18 in households up to 148% of the federal poverty level, or effectively 153% with the disregard. For a family of three in 2026, the effective limit is approximately $41,800 a year. Children in families with somewhat higher incomes, up to 300% of the poverty level, may qualify for the separate Children’s Health Insurance Program.2Missouri Department of Social Services. Benefit Program Income Limits
Parents and Caretaker Relatives
A legacy program called MO HealthNet for Families covers parents and caretaker relatives at extremely low income levels that are not tied to a clean poverty-level percentage. The actual dollar limits as of 2025 are $2,892 a year for a household of two and $3,612 for a household of three.2Missouri Department of Social Services. Benefit Program Income Limits Those thresholds are so low that most parents will instead qualify through the expansion group at 138% of the poverty level, which covers all adults ages 19 through 64 regardless of parental status. If you’re a parent in Missouri, apply through the expansion pathway rather than this legacy category.
Aged, Blind, and Disabled
Adults who are 65 or older or who have a disability can qualify for MO HealthNet with income up to 85% of the federal poverty level, which is roughly $13,566 for a single person in 2026. If you’re legally blind, the threshold rises to 100% of the poverty level, or about $15,960 for one person. Unlike the categories above, these programs do not include the 5% income disregard, and they also impose asset limits.2Missouri Department of Social Services. Benefit Program Income Limits
The 5% Income Disregard
Several MO HealthNet programs apply a 5% disregard that effectively raises the income cutoff by five percentage points of the federal poverty level. If your income falls between the listed standard and that standard plus five percent, the disregard knocks you back into eligibility. For expansion adults, the listed standard is 133%, but the disregard bumps the effective limit to 138%. For children ages 1 through 18, 148% becomes 153%. For pregnant women and infants, 196% becomes 201%.4Department of Social Services Manuals. 1805.030.20.20.05 Calculation of the Five Percent Disregard
The disregard is applied automatically during the eligibility review. You don’t need to ask for it. Missouri’s published income tables usually show the dollar amounts tied to the lower listed percentage, so if your income is slightly above the table figure, you may still qualify once the disregard runs.
How Missouri Counts Your Income
For most MO HealthNet programs, Missouri uses Modified Adjusted Gross Income, or MAGI, to measure what you earn. MAGI starts with your adjusted gross income from your federal tax return, adds back certain items like tax-exempt interest and tax-exempt Social Security benefits, and subtracts allowable deductions to arrive at a final number.5Department of Social Services Manuals. 1805.030.25 Determining MAGI That number is compared against the income limit for your group and household size.
MAGI counts wages, self-employment earnings, Social Security benefits, pensions, unemployment compensation, and investment income. Supplemental Security Income is not counted. Pre-tax retirement contributions and certain other deductions also reduce your MAGI total. Because the calculation mirrors tax rules, most applicants already have what they need from a recent tax return or pay stubs.6Department of Social Services Manuals. 1805.030.00 Modified Adjusted Gross Income MAGI Methodology
Household size matters too, because larger households get higher income ceilings. Missouri counts the people you would include on a tax return: yourself, your spouse if filing jointly, and your dependents. For a pregnant applicant, the household includes the unborn child, which can make the difference between qualifying and not.
Do Assets Count Against You?
If you’re applying as an expansion adult, a child, or a pregnant woman, Missouri does not count your assets at all. You can have significant savings and still qualify as long as your income falls below the limit. Asset tests were eliminated for these MAGI-based programs under the Affordable Care Act.7Missouri Department of Social Services. MAGI MO HealthNet Program Descriptions
Asset limits do apply if you’re aged, blind, or disabled, or if you’re seeking long-term care coverage like a nursing home or home-and-community-based services. As of July 1, 2025, a single applicant’s countable assets cannot exceed $6,068.80.8Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Resource Limit/Spenddown Amount Countable assets include bank accounts, cash, stocks, bonds, and retirement accounts. Your primary home, one vehicle, personal belongings, and household furnishings are generally exempt. The home exemption is subject to an equity limit; if your home equity exceeds the cap, it may be counted as an available resource.
What If Your Income Is Over the Limit?
Being slightly over doesn’t necessarily mean you’re shut out. Missouri offers a spend-down option for certain applicants, particularly those who are aged, blind, or disabled. It works like a deductible: you “spend down” the gap between your income and the Medicaid limit by incurring medical expenses. Once your remaining income falls to the threshold, Medicaid covers the rest of the coverage period. Qualifying expenses include doctor bills, prescriptions, and hospital charges you’ve already paid or still owe.
For long-term care programs like home-and-community-based waiver services, Missouri also recognizes qualified income trusts, sometimes called Miller Trusts. These irrevocable trusts let you deposit excess income so it’s no longer counted against the Medicaid limit. The trust must meet federal requirements, including naming the state as the remainder beneficiary to recoup Medicaid costs after the beneficiary dies.9Department of Social Services Manuals. Qualified Income Trust Setting one up requires careful legal drafting; an elder law attorney familiar with Missouri Medicaid rules is the safest route.
How to Apply
Missouri gives you several ways to apply once you’ve figured out which group you fall into. The fastest option is the online portal at mydss.mo.gov. You can also call the Family Support Division at 855-373-9994, visit a local FSD Resource Center in person, or mail a paper application to the Family Support Division at P.O. Box 2700, Jefferson City, MO 65102.10Missouri Department of Social Services. Apply for Healthcare
You should hear back within 45 days of submitting your application. Determinations that involve a disability may take longer. If 45 days pass with no response, contact FSD directly rather than waiting.10Missouri Department of Social Services. Apply for Healthcare
Missouri can also backdate your coverage up to three months before the month you applied, as long as you would have been eligible during those earlier months. This is called prior-quarter coverage, and it can help pay medical bills you ran up before applying.11Department of Social Services Manuals. 1830.020.00 Prior Quarter PQ Each prior month is evaluated separately, so you might get retroactive coverage for some months but not others depending on your income during that period.