Data as of January 2009 unless otherwise noted.
To be eligible in the infant category, a child has not yet reached his or her first birthday. To be eligible in the 1-5 category, the child is age one or older, but has not yet reached his or her sixth birthday. To be eligible in the 6-19 category, the child is age six or older, but has not yet reached his or her 19th birthday.
The income eligibility levels noted may refer to gross or net income depending on the state. Income eligibility levels listed are either for “regular” Medicaid where states receive “regular” Medicaid matching payments or show eligibility levels for the state’s SCHIP-funded Medicaid expansion program where the state receives the enhanced SCHIP matching payments for these children. The eligibility level listed is the higher of these two standards.
Eligibility levels shown as percent of the FPL. Currency figures based on FPL for a family of three in 2008: $17,600 for 48 contiguous states and District of Columbia, $22,000 for Alaska, $20,240 for Hawaii.

Source 1: Challenges of Providing Health Coverage for Children and Parents in a Recession: A 50 State Update on Eligibility Rules, Enrollment and Renewal Procedures, and Cost-Sharing Practices in Medicaid and SCHIP in 2009. Data based on a national survey conducted by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities for the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, January 2009. Available at http://www.kff.org/medicaid/7855.cfm. State data are from Source 1.

Source 2: Medicaid Eligibility, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
US figures from Source 2.

The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) was established to help government agencies determine eligibility levels for public assistance programs such as Medicaid. FPL is represented in this resource as poverty guidelines as opposed to the slightly different poverty thresholds.

1. US Figure is the federal minimum eligibility level based on the CMS Eligibility Report; 2008.
2. The state has adopted the Medicaid option to cover children aging out of foster care, referred to as the Chafee option. In Arkansas, a small group of foster care children can continue in their U-18 and Medically Needy Foster Care categories and receive Medicaid until they are 21 years old. In Florida, the state amended its state law to extend Medicaid coverage to children aging out of foster care until their 21st birthday. Previously, the state only covered children aging out of foster care until their 20th birthday. In Georgia, a child aging out of IV-E Medicaid can sign a consent form to remain in foster care and receive Medicaid coverage up to 21. Ohio and Wisconsin adopted this option in January 2008. New York adopted this option in January 2009.
3. In California, infants born to women on the Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) program are automatically enrolled in SCHIP unless the child is enrolled in employer-sponsored insurance or no-cost full scope Medi-Cal. The income guideline for these infants, through their second birthday, is 300 percent of the federal poverty line.
4. Florida operates two SCHIP-funded separate programs. Healthy Kids covers children ages five through nineteen, as well as younger siblings in some locations. Medi-Kids covers children ages one through four.
5. Georgia, Illinois, and New Jersey cover infants in families with income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line who are born to mothers enrolled in Medicaid. Georgia and New Jersey cover infants not born to Medicaid enrolled mothers in families with income at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty line. Illinois covers infants not born to Medicaid-enrolled mothers in families with income at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty line.
6. Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Wisconsin provide state-financed coverage to children with incomes above SCHIP levels. Eligibility is 300% for Wisconsin.
7. Iowa passed legislation in 2008 to expand childrens eligibility up to 300 percent of the federal poverty line in July 2009 dependent on funding and other federal policy issues.
8. Kansas passed legislation in May 2008 that would expand SCHIP eligibility from 200 percent of the federal poverty line to 250 percent of the federal poverty line depending on federal funding and resolution of August 17th directive. There would be an 8 month waiting period for the expansion population.
9. Louisiana passed legislation in June 2008 to expand to 300 percent of the federal poverty line, but have currently implemented up to 250 percent of the federal poverty line. They also passed legislation to adopt the Chafee option, but implementation has been delayed due to hurricanes. Louisiana created a separate SCHIP program in 2008.
10. Maine has not adopted the Chafee option (see footnote 4 for definition), however the state does cover individuals under 21 at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line. Children in Maine who age out of foster care can voluntarily choose to remain in foster care while finishing school and can keep their MaineCare coverage.
11. In Minnesota, the infant category under "regular" Medicaid includes children up to age 2. Under "regular" Medicaid, income eligibility for infants is up to 275 percent of the federal poverty line, and under SCHIP, eligibility for infants is between 275 percent and 280 percent of the federal poverty line. Under "regular" Medicaid, income eligibility for children ages 2-19 is up to 150 percent of the federal poverty line, and under the Section 1115 waiver, income eligibility for children in this age group is between 150 and 275 percent of the federal poverty line. The Section 1115 waiver provides coverage for children up to age 21.
12. Montana passed Initiative 155 in November 2008 which increases income eligibility in CHIP to 250 percent of the federal poverty line, will offer health coverage to all uninsured Montana children with a sliding scale premium, includes presumptive eligibility, increases the waiting period for children, removes the asset test for children and creates a single store front for Medicaid and CHIP. The implementation date is October 2009.
13. In Nebraska there is former ward coverage for children that continue to finish schooling and extends up to age 21.
14. Ohio submitted a state plan amendment to expand their SCHIP-funded Medicaid coverage to children in families up to 300 percent of the federal poverty line. The state hopes to implement this expansion in January 2009, pending CMS approval.
15. Oklahoma passed legislation to increase the income eligibility guideline to 300 percent of the federal poverty line under its current section 1115 waiver. However, the currently proposed expansion has been scaled back to 217 percent of the federal poverty line and the future expansion of 218 percent to 300 percent of the federal poverty line is pending further CMS guidance and SCHIP reauthorization.
16. South Carolina implemented a separate SCHIP program for children with income between 150 and 200 percent of the federal poverty line in April 2008.
17. In Tennessee, enrollment under the states waiver program, called TennCare Standard, is closed to new applicants. The only children currently receiving TennCare Standard are children who lose Medicaid, have no access to insurance, and have family income below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, or who are medically eligible (have a health problem that prevents them from getting health insurance). In 2007 the state created a separate SCHIP program for children in families with income up to 250 percent of the federal poverty line. Eligible children may have access to health insurance but must be uninsured.
18. For Tennessee, the Medicaid figures shown represent the income eligibility guidelines under regular Medicaid. Enrollment under the states waiver program is closed to new applicants; some children who lose Medicaid can enroll (see footnote 4). In 2007 the state created a separate SCHIP program for children in families with income up to 250 percent of the federal poverty line. Children not eligible for regular Medicaid and children closed out of TennCare Standard who meet the SCHIP income guidelines can enroll in the separate SCHIP program.
19. In Vermont, Medicaid covers uninsured children in families with income at or below 225 percent of the federal poverty line; uninsured children in families with income between 226 and 300 percent of the federal poverty line are covered under a separate SCHIP program. Underinsured children are covered under Medicaid up to 300 percent of the federal poverty line. This expansion of coverage for underinsured children was achieved through an amendment to the states Medicaid Section 1115 waiver.
20. West Virginia has passed legislation to expand SCHIP to 250 percent of the federal poverty line in January 2009 pending approval of their state plan amendment.
21. Wisconsin implemented BadgerCare Plus in February 2008. Badgercare Plus has no income limit for children. The state will receive Medicaid reimbursement for children up to 250 percent of the federal poverty line and children with incomes between 251 percent and 300 percent of the federal poverty line are covered with state funds.