Affordable Care Act increased eligibility to what percent of federal poverty level in expansion states?

• A. 150
• B. 100
• C. 200
• D. 138

Answer: (D)

The key idea is the eligibility threshold for Medicaid under the ACA in states that chose to expand. In those expansion states, adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level could enroll in Medicaid. This specific threshold was set to dramatically broaden coverage for low‑income adults who were previously ineligible under the old rules. It’s important to note that separate subsidies for private plans through the marketplaces cover people with incomes from about 100 to 400 percent of the poverty level, but those subsidies are a different part of the ACA than Medicaid expansion. So the expansion states’ Medicaid eligibility target is 138 percent of the federal poverty level.