Massachusetts has two separate public health coverage systems, and the names confuse almost everyone. MassHealth is the state’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program, free or very low cost for people with limited income. The Health Connector is the state’s insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act, where people who earn too much for MassHealth buy private plans, often with substantial subsidies through a program called ConnectorCare. There is no such thing as a “MassHealth Connector,” even though thousands of people search for one every month. They are two different agencies with two different sets of rules, connected by one shared application that sorts you into whichever program fits your income.
This guide covers who qualifies for which program in 2026, what each costs, and how to apply. All income figures use the 2026 federal poverty guidelines, current as of August 2026; they change every year.
The Two Systems in 60 Seconds
MassHealth is government insurance. It pays your medical bills directly, has no or minimal premiums for most members, enrolls people year round, and covers a broad benefit package including comprehensive adult dental. Eligibility depends on income, and for some groups, age, disability, pregnancy, or assets.
The Health Connector is a shopping site for private insurance. You pick a plan from carriers like Blue Cross, Tufts, or Mass General Brigham Health Plan, and you pay a monthly premium. If your income is between 100 and 400 percent of the poverty level, the Connector wraps state and federal subsidies into a ConnectorCare plan with low or zero premiums, low copays, and no deductibles. Above that range, you can still buy a plan at full price, usually with federal tax credits softening the cost.
Here is which program is likely yours, based on annual household income under the 2026 poverty guidelines ($15,960 for one person, $21,640 for two, $27,320 for three, $33,000 for four):
- Single adult under $22,025 (138% FPL): MassHealth
- Single adult from about $22,025 to $63,840 (138 to 400% FPL): ConnectorCare through the Health Connector
- Single adult above $63,840: Unsubsidized Connector plan, possibly with federal tax credits
- Family of four under $45,540 (138% FPL): MassHealth for the parents; children qualify at much higher incomes
- Family of four up to $100,650 (305% FPL): Children likely qualify for MassHealth even when parents get ConnectorCare
- Family of four from about $45,540 to $132,000: ConnectorCare for the adults
- Pregnant, disabled, or 65 and older: Different MassHealth rules apply; read on
MassHealth Eligibility by Category
MassHealth is not one program with one income limit. It is a family of coverage types, and the limit depends on who you are. The percentages below include the standard 5 percent income disregard that MassHealth applies when it counts your income, which is why you will see the adult limit described as both 133 and 138 percent depending on the source.
- Adults 21 to 64: Up to 138% FPL, about $22,025 a year for a single person or $45,540 for a family of four in 2026. Parents and childless adults both qualify at this level, through MassHealth Standard or CarePlus.
- Children under 1: Up to 205% FPL.
- Children 1 to 18: MassHealth Standard up to 155% FPL, and Family Assistance (the CHIP tier) up to 305% FPL, which is $100,650 for a family of four. This is why children in a household often have MassHealth while their parents carry a Connector plan.
- Pregnant women: Up to 205% FPL, with coverage continuing 12 months after the baby is born.
- People with disabilities: MassHealth Standard at the usual limits, plus CommonHealth for disabled adults and children whose income is too high for Standard. CommonHealth has no upper income limit; instead it charges a sliding-scale premium or a one-time deductible.
- Adults 65 and older: A different rulebook entirely. Income limits are lower than for younger adults, an asset test applies, and the application form is different. Long-term care coverage has its own financial rules. If you are near 65, do not assume the limits above apply to you.
MassHealth also runs several programs alongside the main coverage types: the Children’s Medical Security Plan for kids who do not qualify for MassHealth, MassHealth Limited for emergency-only coverage, Medicare Savings Programs that pay Medicare premiums for lower-income seniors, and the Health Safety Net described below.
ConnectorCare and Marketplace Plans
If your income is above the MassHealth line, the Health Connector takes over. Its flagship program is ConnectorCare, private plans from the state’s leading insurers with state subsidies layered on top of federal tax credits. For the 2026 plan year, ConnectorCare is open to households between 100 and 400 percent of the poverty level. Note the change: for the 2024 and 2025 plan years, a state pilot expanded ConnectorCare to 500 percent FPL. That pilot has ended. The 2026 ceiling is back at 400 percent, which is $63,840 for a single person and $132,000 for a family of four.
ConnectorCare plans have no deductibles, low copays, and premiums pegged to your income tier, called a Plan Type. Per the Connector’s published 2026 figures, the lowest-cost plan in each tier runs:
- Plan Type 2A (100 to 150% FPL): $0 per month
- Plan Type 2B (150.1 to 200% FPL): $53 per month
- Plan Type 3A (200.1 to 250% FPL): $103 per month
- Plan Type 3B (250.1 to 300% FPL): $152 per month
- Plan Type 3C (300.1 to 400% FPL): $235 per month
Those are per-person figures for the cheapest carrier in each tier; picking a pricier carrier costs more. To qualify you must live in Massachusetts, be a citizen or lawfully present immigrant, lack access to other qualifying coverage such as affordable employer insurance or Medicare, and not qualify for MassHealth. Certain medications for chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, and hypertension carry no copay at all in ConnectorCare plans.
Above 400 percent FPL, the Connector still sells unsubsidized plans in bronze, silver, gold, and platinum tiers, and federal premium tax credits may still reduce the price depending on how the cost of the benchmark plan compares to your income. The Connector also sells standalone dental plans year round.
One Application, Step by Step
Here is the part that makes the two-system structure painless: for anyone under 65, there is a single application, and it decides both programs at once. You do not need to figure out in advance which one you qualify for.
- Gather your documents. Social Security numbers (or immigration document numbers for lawfully present applicants), birth dates for everyone applying, federal tax filing status, income proof such as recent pay stubs or last year’s return, and details of any employer insurance available to you.
- Apply. Online at MAhealthconnector.org (create an account, complete the application in one sitting or save and return), by phone through Connector customer service at 877-623-6765 or MassHealth at 800-841-2900, by mailing a paper application, or in person. Free certified Enrollment Assisters at hospitals, health centers, and community agencies across the state can complete the application with you in many languages, and MassHealth Enrollment Centers handle walk-ins.
- Get your determination. The system checks your income against both programs. If you qualify for MassHealth, you are enrolled and no premium shopping is needed. If you qualify for ConnectorCare or tax credits, the site shows your Plan Type and the plans available in your area.
- If you are routed to the Connector, pick a plan and pay. Coverage does not start until you choose a plan and make the first premium payment by the monthly deadline, generally the 23rd of the month for coverage starting the 1st of the next month.
- Send any requested proof. Either agency may ask you to verify income, residency, or immigration status. Missing these deadlines is the most common way people lose coverage they qualify for.
Applicants 65 and older, or those seeking long-term care coverage, use a separate MassHealth application (the SACA-2) rather than the marketplace application. Call MassHealth or a SHINE counselor before filing, because the senior rules around assets and transfers reward planning.
What Each One Costs
MassHealth Standard and CarePlus members pay no monthly premium, and copays are minimal, capped, and waived for many groups. CommonHealth and some Family Assistance members pay modest sliding-scale premiums. In ConnectorCare, the premium runs from zero to a few hundred dollars a month depending on tier and carrier, copays apply to most services, but there is no deductible. Full-price Connector plans behave like any commercial insurance: several hundred dollars a month plus deductibles and cost sharing by metal tier. The higher your income, the more of the cost you carry.
If a ConnectorCare premium becomes unaffordable mid-year because your income dropped, report the change; you may fall into a cheaper Plan Type or into MassHealth. A premium hardship waiver process also exists for people in extreme financial difficulty.
When You Can Enroll
The two systems keep different calendars. MassHealth enrolls people every day of the year. Apply in February or October; it makes no difference.
Connector plans follow open enrollment, which in Massachusetts runs from November 1 to January 23, longer than the federal window. Outside those dates you need a qualifying life event, such as losing job-based coverage, moving to Massachusetts, getting married, or having a child, which opens a 60-day special enrollment period. ConnectorCare has a friendlier rule: if you newly qualify for ConnectorCare or are applying for the first time, you can enroll any time of year. The same year-round rule covers dental plans, MassHealth, the Children’s Medical Security Plan, and the Health Safety Net.
Keeping Your Coverage: Renewals
MassHealth must recheck every member’s eligibility annually, a process that returned in force after the pandemic-era continuous coverage rules ended in 2023 and the state redetermined its entire caseload. Watch your mail for a blue envelope. Some members are renewed automatically from state data; everyone else must return the renewal form by the deadline in the letter or be cut off for paperwork reasons rather than actual ineligibility. If that happens, you generally have 90 days to submit the form and be reinstated. Keep your address current with MassHealth, especially if you have moved since you enrolled.
Connector members renew each fall during open enrollment, when subsidies are redetermined for the new plan year. Report income and household changes promptly; subsidies are reconciled on your federal tax return, and underreporting can mean paying tax credits back. Federal eligibility rules are tightening through 2026 and 2027, so expect more verification paperwork and respond to every notice.
Special Situations
You lost your job. Losing employer coverage is a qualifying event, so both doors are open regardless of the season. If your income has dropped to near zero, apply immediately; you likely qualify for MassHealth now even if you earned well all year, because MassHealth looks at current monthly income. Unemployment benefits count as income for both programs, so run the numbers with them included. A job loss usually triggers several applications at once; our guides to SNAP benefits in Massachusetts and unemployment eligibility after being fired or quitting cover the other two. COBRA is rarely the best deal when ConnectorCare is available.
You are turning 65. The MAGI income rules that got you MassHealth or ConnectorCare stop applying. Most people transition to Medicare, and lower-income seniors should ask about Medicare Savings Programs and MassHealth Senior Buy-In, which pay Medicare premiums and cost sharing. MassHealth Standard for seniors carries an asset test. Talk to a SHINE counselor (800-243-4636) a few months before your birthday.
You are an immigrant. Lawfully present immigrants, including many barred from federal Medicaid during their first five years, can qualify for ConnectorCare, and Massachusetts covers several lawfully present groups through MassHealth with state funds. Residents without status cannot get full MassHealth or Connector plans, but can get MassHealth Limited for emergency care, the Health Safety Net, CMSP for children, and pregnancy coverage. Immigration rules shift; a legal aid office can advise on your specific status.
You have no coverage at all. The Health Safety Net pays for care at Massachusetts hospitals and community health centers for lower-income uninsured and underinsured residents, generally free below 150 percent FPL and with a deductible up to 300 percent. It is a payment program, not insurance, and it satisfies no mandate, but it keeps hospital bills off your back while you sort out real coverage.
You need dental work. MassHealth covers comprehensive adult dental, including fillings, root canals, and dentures, restored in stages between 2021 and 2023 after years of cuts. Connector health plans cover pediatric dental, and adults can buy standalone dental plans through the Connector at any time of year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MassHealth the same as the Health Connector?
No. MassHealth is the state’s Medicaid program, free or low-cost government insurance for people with limited income. The Health Connector is the state’s ACA marketplace, where people with higher incomes buy private plans, subsidized through ConnectorCare when income is between 100 and 400 percent of the poverty level. They share one application for people under 65, which is the main source of the confusion.
What income qualifies for MassHealth?
For adults 21 to 64 in 2026, up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level: about $22,025 a year for one person or $45,540 for a family of four. Children qualify up to 305 percent FPL, pregnant women up to 205 percent, and people with disabilities can qualify at any income through CommonHealth with a sliding-scale premium. Seniors 65 and older face lower limits plus an asset test. Figures change each year when the poverty guidelines update.
What is ConnectorCare?
ConnectorCare is the Health Connector’s subsidized coverage for households between 100 and 400 percent of the poverty level in 2026. Plans come from major Massachusetts insurers and have no deductibles, low copays, and monthly premiums from $0 to $235 for the lowest-cost carrier, depending on your income tier. The pilot that raised the limit to 500 percent FPL ended with the 2025 plan year.
Can I apply for MassHealth anytime?
Yes. MassHealth has no open enrollment period; you can apply and enroll any day of the year, and coverage can start as of your application date, with retroactive coverage available in some circumstances.
What if I make too much for MassHealth?
The same application automatically checks you for ConnectorCare and federal premium tax credits, so there is nothing extra to file. A single adult earning between roughly $22,000 and $64,000 in 2026 lands in ConnectorCare. Above 400 percent FPL, you can buy an unsubsidized Connector plan, and tax credits may still apply depending on plan costs in your area.
When is Health Connector open enrollment?
November 1 through January 23 each year, a longer window than the federal marketplace. Outside those dates you need a qualifying life event such as losing other coverage, unless you newly qualify for ConnectorCare or are enrolling in ConnectorCare for the first time, which is allowed year round. Dental plans can also be purchased any time.
Income figures verified against the 2026 HHS federal poverty guidelines and the Health Connector’s published 2026 plan year materials as of August 2026. Thresholds and premiums change annually; confirm current amounts at MAhealthconnector.org (877-623-6765) or with MassHealth customer service (800-841-2900).