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:  March 18, 2021 
FROM:  Anne Marie Costello 
Acting Deputy Administrator and Director 
Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services 
SUBJECT:  2021 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 2021 guidelines reflect the 1.2 percent price increase between calendar years 2019 and 2020. 
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 2021 is 
$26,500. 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/2021/02/01/2021-01969/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 2021 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 Spector, Director of the Division of 
Medicaid Eligibility Policy, at 410-786-3031 or Sarah.Spector@cms.hhs.gov. 
Attachment:   
2021 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): $1,094  Individual  $1,472  Couple 
Alaska:  $1,361  Individual  $1,835  Couple 
Hawaii:  $1,255  Individual  $1,690  Couple 
 
Asset Limits:  $7,970  Individual  $11,960  Couple 
 
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB): 
 
Monthly Income Limits: (120% FPL + $20)* 
 
All States and DC (Except Alaska & Hawaii): $1,308  Individual  $1,762  Couple 
Alaska:  $1,629  Individual  $2,197  Couple 
Hawaii:  $1,502  Individual  $2,024  Couple 
 
Asset Limits:  $7,970  Individual  $11,960  Couple 
 
Qualifying Individual (QI): 
 
Monthly Income Limits: (135% FPL + $20)* 
 
All States and DC (Except Alaska & Hawaii): $1,469  Individual  $1,980 Couple 
Alaska:  $1,831  Individual  $2,470 Couple 
Hawaii  $1,688  Individual  $2,275  Couple 
 
Asset Limits:  $7,970  Individual  $11,960  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): $4,379  Individual  $5,892  Couple 
Alaska:  $5,449  Individual  $7,342  Couple 
Hawaii:  $5,025  Individual  $6,765  Couple 
 
Asset Limits:  $4,000  Individual  $6,000  Couple 
*$20 = Amount of the Monthly SSI Income Disregard