New Jersey Medicaid Eligibility & Income Limits (2026)

New Jersey Medicaid income limits aren't a single number. What counts as "over the limit" depends entirely on which pathway you apply through, and the figures range from about $1,330 a month for an aged or disabled adult to $2,982 a month for nursing-home coverage.

New Jersey Medicaid, known as NJ FamilyCare, runs two different eligibility systems. Children, parents, pregnant residents, and other adults qualify on income alone, with no asset test. Seniors 65 and older, people who are blind or disabled, and anyone seeking long-term care qualify under separate rules that count both income and assets. This guide gives the 2026 numbers for each, the asset rules, and the trust that lets people over the income cap still qualify for long-term care.

In This Guide

• Which eligibility system applies to you
• Income limits for children, families, and adults
• Do you qualify under the aged, blind, and disabled pathway?
• Long-term care (MLTSS and nursing home) eligibility
• The 2026 income and asset limits, all in one table
• Which assets count, and which are exempt?
• Over the income limit? The Qualified Income Trust
• How to apply
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

Which eligibility system applies to you

Almost every confusion about New Jersey Medicaid eligibility comes from treating it as one program with one income limit. It isn't. NJ FamilyCare decides eligibility two different ways, and which one applies to you sets your income limit, your asset rules, and where you apply.3

The first is MAGI, short for Modified Adjusted Gross Income. This is the income-only test for children, parents and caretakers, pregnant residents, and adults covered by New Jersey's Medicaid expansion. These groups have no asset test at all. If your income is under the threshold for your category, your savings and property don't matter.1

The second is the SSI-related (non-MAGI) test, used for people 65 and older and people who are blind or disabled. This test counts both income and assets, and it splits again depending on whether you need long-term care. People who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are automatically enrolled in NJ FamilyCare.3

If you're a senior on a fixed income worried you'll be "over the limit," read past this section before drawing a conclusion. The pathway you fall into changes the number, and the long-term-care limit is far more generous than the routine one. The Qualified Income Trust below exists precisely so that being over the cap doesn't end the matter.

Income limits for children, families, and adults

These are the 2026 MAGI limits, expressed as the maximum monthly income for a household of one. The limit rises with each additional family member.1

• Adults 19 to 64: up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which is $1,836/month for a single person ($2,489/month for a couple) in 2026. This covers both parents and adults without dependent children.1
• Pregnant residents: up to 205% FPL.1 Federal law gives every state a permanent option to keep someone who qualified while pregnant enrolled for 12 months after the pregnancy ends; how that plays out at your renewal is covered in New Jersey Medicaid recertification and renewal.4
• Children under 19: covered on a sliding scale up to 355% FPL.1

None of these MAGI categories has an asset test. The 2026 FPL for a household of one is $1,330/month ($15,960/year), which is the base the percentages above are applied to.1

Do you qualify under the aged, blind, and disabled pathway?

If you're 65 or older, or determined blind or disabled, and you're not seeking long-term care, the ABD pathway uses an income limit of 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, which is $1,330 a month for a single person ($1,804/month for a couple) in 2026. Unlike the MAGI categories, this pathway counts assets, with a resource maximum of $4,000 for an individual and $6,000 for a couple. People already receiving SSI are enrolled automatically.1

This is the number that surprises people, because it's lower than the long-term-care limit below. A senior can earn too much for routine ABD Medicaid yet still qualify for Medicaid-funded long-term care, which uses the more generous standard.1

There is also a tighter SSI-level standard within this group, used for Medicaid Only: gross income up to $1,025.25/month for a single person ($1,516.35 for a couple), with resources up to $2,000 ($3,000 for a couple) in 2026. The New Jersey Care Special Medicaid Programs then extend coverage up to the 100% FPL standard above.3

Long-term care (MLTSS and nursing home) eligibility

Long-term care in New Jersey runs through MLTSS, short for Managed Long Term Services and Supports, the managed-care program that covers nursing-home care and in-home care alike. Its 2026 financial limits:2

• Income: $2,982/month for a single applicant. That's 300% of the federal SSI benefit rate of $994/month. New Jersey's own MLTSS and ABD publications do not print a separate couple or household income limit; if you are married and only one of you needs care, the spousal rules below are what protect the other spouse.2
• Assets: $2,000 for an individual.2
• Home equity: the primary home is exempt up to the long-term-care home-equity limit. For 2026 that is $752,000 unless the state elects a higher amount, up to $1,130,000; New Jersey's own 2026 eligibility publications do not print a separate state figure, so confirm the standard in force with your county welfare agency.5
• Look-back: New Jersey reviews asset transfers made in the 60 months before you apply, and gifts can trigger a penalty period.2

For a married couple where only one spouse needs care, the federal spousal-impoverishment rules let the community spouse keep between $32,532 and $162,660 in countable assets and a monthly maintenance allowance between $2,705.00 and $4,066.50.2

The 2026 income and asset limits, all in one table

Here is every 2026 New Jersey Medicaid income and asset limit side by side, for a household of one.1,2

Which assets count, and which are exempt?

Asset rules apply only to the ABD and long-term-care pathways; MAGI groups have no asset test. When assets do count, the limit is $4,000 for a single ABD applicant and $2,000 for a single long-term-care applicant.1,2

Countable assets include bank accounts, investments, and a second property. Several things are generally exempt: your primary home (up to the long-term-care home-equity limit, $752,000 for 2026 unless the state elects a higher amount, up to $1,130,000), one vehicle, personal belongings, and certain burial funds. For a married couple, the community spouse's protected share is carved out before the applicant's countable assets are measured.5,2

Over the income limit? The Qualified Income Trust

New Jersey is what's called an income-cap state for long-term care, so being even a dollar over the $2,982 limit would, on its face, disqualify you. The fix is a Qualified Income Trust (QIT, sometimes called a Miller Trust). You deposit the income above the cap into the trust each month, and the trust directs it toward the cost of your care. Set up correctly, it lets an over-income applicant meet the limit. Because the trust has to be drafted and funded correctly, many families work with an elder-law attorney.2

How to apply

Where you apply depends on which pathway you're in.3

• MAGI applicants (children, parents, pregnant residents, expansion adults) apply through NJ FamilyCare, with free help from a Health Benefits Coordinator at 1-800-701-0710 (TTY 711).3
• Aged, blind, disabled, and long-term-care applicants apply using the NJ FamilyCare ABD application, online at njfamilycare.dhs.state.nj.us/abd.htm or in person at your local County Social Service Agency (1-800-356-1561), which performs the financial review. For long-term care, the county's financial review and the Division of Aging Services' clinical (level-of-care) screen are completed concurrently.3

Before you apply, gather proof of identity, your monthly income award letters and pension statements, and resources (bank, investment, and life-insurance statements). For the step-by-step process, documents checklist, and what to do if you're denied, see How to Apply for New Jersey Medicaid.

Learn More

Find personalized help figuring out which New Jersey Medicaid pathway you qualify for at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.