2009 FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL GUIDELINES

Each year, updated Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines are published in the Federal Register in January/February, but aren't adopted by MassHealth until several months later. This year, MassHealth will begin using these new income levels on March 1st. So as of March 1st, these are the figures that MassHealth will be using to determine eligibility for MassHealth, Commonwealth Care, and Health Safety Net, and also to calculate premium amounts for MassHealth and Commonwealth Care patients. Prescription Advantage will use the 2008 FPLs until July 1, 2009. These figures are also used for eligibility for other public benefits including SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), TAFDC, and Fuel Assistance (Prescription Advantage will use new FPLs starting April 1).

This chart was put together by Mass Law Reform institute:  http://www.masslegalservices.org/docs/2009_FPL_Chart.pdf.

- Adapted from: “New Federal Poverty Income Guidelines” e-mail, Kim Simonian, MPH, Community Benefit Programs, Partners HealthCare, February 12, 2009.

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