(26-03)Medicaid Communication No. 26-03: Income Eligibility Standards Effective January 1, 2026#
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MIKIE SHERRILL Governor
DR. DALE G. CALDWELL Lt. Governor
State of New Jersey DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services P.O. Box 712 Trenton, NJ 08625
STEPHEN CHA, MD, MHSR Acting Commissioner
GREGORY WOODS Assistant Commissioner
MEDICAID COMMUNICATION NO. 26-03 DATE: February 26, 2026
TO: NJ FamilyCare Eligibility Determining Agencies
SUBJECT: Income Eligibility Standards Effective January 1, 2026
The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines for 2026 were announced and posted online via the electronic version of the Federal Register on January 13, 2026. Attached is the new income standards chart for all NJ FamilyCare programs. These new standards are retroactively effective January 1, 2026 for all programs.
Eligibility determining agencies shall immediately review all cases that would otherwise have been denied as a result of any income increases. No action is required for those cases that remain eligible under the new income standards.
It is important that any Plan A or Plan ABP cases found to be newly eligible shall be accreted to the eligibility file with an effective date of January 1, 2026, or the date of application, whichever is later. Additionally, any NJ FamilyCare Plan B cases that may now qualify for Plan A coverage also need to be eligible retroactive to January 1, 2026. Please be sure to advise the beneficiary of the change in coverage and change in Medicaid Eligibility Identification Number, when applicable.
If you have any questions regarding this Medicaid Communication, please refer them to the Division’s Office of Eligibility field service staff member for your agency at 609-588-2556.
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Page 2 of 2 Medicaid Communication 25-03
GW:adb c: Stephen Cha, MD MHSR, Acting Commissioner Department of Human Services
Valerie Mielke, Deputy Commissioner Department of Human Services
Kaylee McGuire, Deputy Commissioner Department of Human Services
Michael J. Wilson, Deputy Commissioner Department of Human Services
Natasha Johnson, Assistant Commissioner Division of Family Development
Renee Burawski, Assistant Commissioner Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Jonathan Seifried, Assistant Commissioner Division of Developmental Disabilities
Peri Nearon, Director Division of Disability Services
Louise Rush, Director Division of Aging Services
Christine Norbut Beyer, Commissioner Department of Children and Families
Kaitlan Baston, M.D., Commissioner Department of Health
Joshua Lichtblau, Director, Medicaid Fraud Division Office of the State Comptroller