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Long-Term Care · Medicaid Planning
Medicaid Spend-Down Modeler
Long-term-care Medicaid requires countable assets below a low limit, and a married applicant's community spouse is allowed to keep a resource allowance in between a federal floor and ceiling. This models the gap between current countable assets and the limit, and shows how long private pay would last before eligibility. It covers ten states, listed in the selector below, and rules vary by state and change often.
This tool models ten states: California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. Selecting any other state applies federal default figures that may not match that state's rules.
Marital Status and State STEP 1
Spousal impoverishment rules apply only in the married case.
This tool covers ten states. Other states fall back to federal minimums and maximums.
Outside the modeled scope. National default figures are applied below, and they may not match this state's actual rules.
Assets STEP 2
Bank, brokerage, second properties, cash value life insurance.
Countable assets are generally pooled for the assessment.
Countable in most states, exempt in some if in payout status.
State-specific. Both figures render side by side below.
Generally exempt up to a state equity cap, especially with a community spouse.
2026 federal minimum cap, states may elect a higher figure. Overridable.
One vehicle is generally exempt.
Generally exempt.
Generally exempt within limits.
Income and Care Cost STEP 3
Social Security, pension.
Nursing home semi-private median. Use a local quote.
CSRA and Transfer Assumptions STEP 4
2026, most states. Overridable.
2026 federal minimum. Overridable.
2026 federal maximum. Overridable.
Some states allow the community spouse the maximum outright.
Uncompensated transfers can trigger a penalty period.
60 in every state except one, which uses 30 for some programs.
The state's average monthly private-pay cost, used to convert transfers into a penalty period.
This is an illustrative estimate, not legal advice. Medicaid eligibility rules vary by state and change often, and transfers can trigger penalty periods. Consult an elder law attorney before acting.
Uncompensated gifts or transfers made within the look-back period can create a penalty period of ineligibility. The penalty does not start when the transfer was made. It starts when the applicant would otherwise be eligible and has applied, which is usually the point at which they have already spent down. Transfers made without professional advice regularly make things worse.
Estimated Spend-Down Required
--
Labeled Estimated. The asset test is one of several eligibility questions.
Months of Private Pay Before Eligibility
--
At the monthly care cost entered
Transfer Penalty Period
--
Starts at eligibility, not at the transfer date
Detail
Total countable assets--
Total countable, retirement treated as exempt (comparison)--
Exempt assets, itemized--
Home equity above the cap (added to countable)--
Community spouse resource allowance--
Protected amount, total--
Spend-down as a share of countable assets--
Community spouse protected share--
Private-pay exposure from the transfer penalty--
Total spend-down including any penalty--
Applicant income to the facility, annual--
Monthly maintenance needs allowanceState-specific figure, not computed by this tool.