Federal PolicyInformational Bulletin
CMS Updates SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards for 2026
CMS released updated Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and spousal impoverishment standards effective for 2026. The bulletin provides revised income and resource thresholds that states must apply when determining Medicaid eligibility for aged, blind, and disabled individuals, as well as protections for spouses of institutionalized individuals. These standards affect eligibility determinations for coverage of long-term services and supports. State Medicaid agencies must implement these updated figures in their eligibility systems and processes.
Why it mattersStates must update eligibility systems and redetermination processes to reflect new income and resource limits that directly affect LTSS eligibility and spousal protections for institutionalized beneficiaries.