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 11, 2019 
 
FROM:  Timothy B. Hill  
Deputy Center Director 
Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services  
 
SUBJECT:  2019 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 2019 guidelines reflect the 2.4 percent price increase between calendar years 2017 and 2018. 
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 2019 is 
$25,750. 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://aspe.hhs.gov/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 2019 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/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 Stephanie Kaminsky, Director of the Division of 
Medicaid Eligibility Policy, at 410-786-4653 or Stephanie.Kaminsky@cms.hhs.gov 
 
Attachment: 
.   
2019 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):  $1,061   Individual    $1,430   Couple  
Alaska:           $1,320   Individual    $1,781   Couple  
Hawaii:           $1,219   Individual    $1,642   Couple  
 
Asset Limits:            $7,730   Individual    $11,600   Couple  
 
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB):  
 
Monthly  Income Limits:  (120% FPL + $20)*  
 
All States and DC (Except Alaska & Hawaii):  $1,269   Individual    $1,711   Couple  
Alaska:           $1,580   Individual    $2,133   Couple  
Hawaii:           $1,458   Individual    $1,966   Couple  
 
Asset Limits:            $7,730   Individual    $11,600   Couple  
 
Qualifying Individual (QI):  
 
Monthly  Income Limits:  (135% FPL + $20)*  
 
All States and DC (Except Alaska & Hawaii):  $1,426   Individual    $1,923 Couple  
Alaska:           $1,775   Individual    $2,398   Couple  
Hawaii           $1,638   Individual    $2,210   Couple  
 
Asset Limits:            $7,730   Individual    $11,600   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):  $4,249   Individual    $5,722   Couple  
Alaska:           $5,285   Individual    $7,129   Couple  
Hawaii:           $4,879   Individual    $6,572   Couple  
 
Asset Limits:            $4,000   Individual    $6,000   Couple  
$20 = Amount of the Monthly SSI Income Disregard