Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
Definition current for the 2026 plan year · Last reviewed July 2026
In one sentence: The HHS income benchmark all health-coverage assistance is measured against; 2026 coverage uses the 2025 guidelines ($15,650 single).
The federal poverty level is the government's income yardstick, updated by HHS each January. Marketplace subsidies for a coverage year use the prior year's guidelines — so 2026 coverage runs on the 2025 numbers: $15,650 for a single person, plus $5,500 per additional household member in the 48 contiguous states (Alaska and Hawaii run higher).
Everything is keyed to percentages of this number: Medicaid expansion ends at 138%, cost-sharing reductions at 250%, subsidies at 400%, and the 2026 contribution schedule slides between those points. Because household size moves the FPL, the same income can sit at very different percentages: $40,000 is 256% of FPL for a single person but 124% for a family of four — Medicaid territory in expansion states.
Find your exact percentage — and every threshold that matters at it — with the FPL calculator.