US Medical Term · financial
Federal Poverty Level
Nivel de Pobreza Federal
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Federal Poverty Level |
| Spanish (Español) | Nivel de Pobreza Federal |
| Chinese (中文) | 联邦贫困线 |
| Korean (한국어) | 연방 빈곤선 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Mức nghèo đói liên bang |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Antas ng Kahirapan ng Pederal |
| Portuguese (Português) | Nível de Pobreza Federal |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ระดับความยากจนของรัฐบาลกลาง |
| Japanese (日本語) | 連邦貧困基準 |
What it means
The federal poverty level (FPL) is an income measure published annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that is used as the basis for determining eligibility for dozens of federal health and social programs. For health coverage, it sets the threshold for Medicaid eligibility (typically up to 138% FPL in expansion states), Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), premium tax credits on the ACA Marketplace (100%–400% FPL for most households), and Extra Help for Medicare Part D. The FPL scales with household size, so a larger family can have a higher income and still qualify. Alaska and Hawaii use higher FPL figures to account for cost-of-living differences. Changes in income or family size during the year can affect your eligibility.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
A family of four earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level may qualify for Medicaid in expansion states.
Una familia de cuatro personas que gana hasta el 138% del nivel de pobreza federal puede calificar para Medicaid en estados de expansión.
The Marketplace application will ask for your household income as a percentage of the federal poverty level.
La solicitud del Mercado le pedirá sus ingresos familiares como porcentaje del nivel de pobreza federal.
Extra Help for Medicare Part D is available to beneficiaries with income below approximately 150% of the federal poverty level.
La Ayuda Extra para el Parte D de Medicare está disponible para beneficiarios con ingresos por debajo del aproximadamente 150% del nivel de pobreza federal.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026