DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop S2-26-12 
Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850 
 
CMCS Informational Bulletin 
 
DATE:  February 24, 2022 
 
FROM:  Daniel Tsai, Deputy Administrator and Director 
Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services 
 
SUBJECT: 2022 Federal Poverty Level Standards 
 
As required by Section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1981 (42 
U.S.C. 9902(2)), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updates the poverty 
guidelines at least annually and by law these updates are applied to eligibility criteria for 
programs such as Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These annual 
updates increase the Census Bureaus current official poverty thresholds by the relevant 
percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPIU). 
 
The 2022 guidelines reflect the 4.7 percent price increase between calendar years 2020 and 2021. 
After this inflation adjustment, the guidelines are rounded and adjusted to standardize the 
differences between family and household sizes.  For a family or household of 4 persons living 
in one of the 48 contiguous states or the District of Columbia, the poverty guideline for 2022 is 
$27,750. Separate poverty guideline figures are developed for Alaska and Hawaii, and different 
guidelines may apply to the Territories. The guidelines can be found at 
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/01/21/2022-01166/annual-update-of-the-hhs-
poverty-guidelines. To determine eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP, states generally use a 
percentage multiple of the guidelines (for example, 133 percent or 185 percent of the guidelines). 
 
Included with this informational bulletin is the 2022 Dual Eligible Standards chart that displays 
the new standards for the Medicare Savings Program categories. These standards are also 
available on Medicaid.gov at https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/seniors-medicare- 
and-medicaid-enrollees/index.html. The asset limits are not derived from the poverty levels but 
are instead related to the Medicare Low-Income Subsidy asset limits. Please note that the 
income figures for the Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI) program identified in the 
chart incorporate earned income disregards, in addition to the $20 general income disregard. 
 
Please update your standards in accordance with this information. If you have any questions or 
need additional information, please contact Sarah Lichtman Spector, Director of the Division 
of Medicaid Eligibility Policy, at 410-786-3031 or Sarah.Spector@cms.hhs.gov. 
 
Attachment: 
The contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way, unless specifically incorporated 
into a contract. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law 
   
2022 Dual Eligible Standards 
(Based on Percentage of Federal Poverty Level) 
 
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB): 
 
Monthly Income Limits: (100% FPL + $20)* 
 
All States and DC (Except Alaska & Hawaii):  $1,153  Individual  $1,546  Couple 
Alaska:  $1,436  Individual  $1,928  Couple 
Hawaii:  $1,323  Individual  $1,775  Couple 
 
Asset Limits:  $8,400  Individual  $12,600  Couple 
 
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB): 
 
Monthly Income Limits: (120% FPL + $20)* 
 
All States and DC (Except Alaska & Hawaii): $1,379  Individual  $1,851  Couple 
Alaska:  $1,719  Individual  $2,309  Couple 
Hawaii:  $1,583  Individual  $2,126  Couple 
 
Asset Limits:  $8,400  Individual  $12,600  Couple 
 
Qualifying Individual (QI): 
 
Monthly Income Limits: (135% FPL + $20)* 
 
All States and DC (Except Alaska & Hawaii): $1,549  Individual  $2,080 Couple 
Alaska:  $1,932  Individual  $2,596 Couple 
Hawaii  $1,779  Individual  $2,390  Couple 
 
Asset Limits:  $8,400  Individual  $12,600  Couple 
 
Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI): 
 
Monthly Income Limits: (200% FPL + $20)* 
 
(Figures include additional earned income disregards) 
 
All States and DC (Except Alaska & Hawaii): $4,615  Individual  $6,189  Couple 
Alaska:  $5,749  Individual  $7,715  Couple 
Hawaii:  $5,295  Individual  $7,105  Couple 
 
Asset Limits:  $4,000  Individual  $6,000  Couple 
 
$20 = Amount of the Monthly SSI Income Disregard