National Center for Benefits Outreach & Enrollment

Center for Benefits

Poverty Guidelines See Slight Increase in 2012

January 28, 2012 Get the Full Guidelines Access the full 2012 federal poverty guidelines from the HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

On Jan. 26, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the new federal poverty levels (FPLs) for 2012. The annual poverty rate (100% FPL) is set at $11,170 annually for an individual ($15,130 for a couple) in the 48 contiguous states and District of Columbia; slightly higher in Alaska ($13,970 for individual, $18,920 for couple) and Hawaii ($12,860 for individual, $17,140 for couple).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued this memo as a preliminary chart outlining the 2012 poverty level and income standards for the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs).

Stay tuned for an official announcement from other federal agencies, including SSA (Social Security Administration) and FNS (Food & Nutrition Service), to confirm the income eligibility criteria to be used in 2012 as a baseline for assistance programs such as the Part D Extra Help program and SNAP (formerly Food Stamp program). And, once the official announcements are made, the FPLs will also be retroactive to Jan. 1, meaning your clients who previously applied this year and may have been denied because they were slightly over income may still be eligible for help from these programs. We’ll keep you posted on the announcements.