Paying for care
Medicaid eligibility
Medicaid eligibility for long-term care depends on need, income, and assets. States set the details. Applicants usually must show they need a nursing facility level of care, even to receive services at home. Financial rules limit income and countable assets. A person's main home is often not counted.
Why it matters for your family
The functional test and the financial test are separate. A person can be poor enough for Medicaid and still not need enough care. Another can need a great deal of care and have too much income or too many assets. Spouses have special protections. A common mistake is to apply without gathering bank statements and records. Delays often come from missing papers. Each state names its programs differently, so search for the state agency. Our state pages can point you to it. An elder law attorney or the Area Agency on Aging can guide a family through the process.
Source: acl.gov
Related terms
- MedicaidMedicaid is a joint federal and state health coverage program for people with limited income and resources.
- Medicaid asset limitThe Medicaid asset limit is the cap on countable assets a person may own and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care.
- Spend downSpend down is a way to qualify for Medicaid when your income is above the state limit.
- Level of care assessmentA level of care assessment is an evaluation that decides whether a person needs the level of care that a nursing facility provides.
- Community spouse resource allowanceThe community spouse resource allowance is the share of a married couple's resources that the spouse living at home may keep when the other spouse needs Medicaid long-term care.
- Area Agency on Aging (AAA)An Area Agency on Aging is a public or private nonprofit agency that a state designates to meet the needs of older adults in a local area.
