Asset spend-down estimator
Arizona · 2026 limits
Arizona AHCCCS still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for ALTCS nursing facility cases. This page runs asset spend-down math for Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Maricopa County, Pima County, and every other Arizona county using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file with Arizona AHCCCS or DES through Health-e-Arizona Plus. The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Carmen in Mesa listed $63,800 across two credit unions and a brokerage account for her mother Elena. Maricopa County ALTCS staff treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $61,800 before the community spouse allowance.
Common mistake: Moving Elena's IRA into Carmen's name without a plan. AHCCCS still traces the account through monthly statements. List every account you will hand to your eligibility worker before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from Arizona agency policy and federal CSRA updates. Call your local eligibility office if your case involves waivers, estate recovery, or managed care plans.
| Rule | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Single applicant resource limit | $2,000 | Arizona AHCCCS ALTCS |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | Arizona AHCCCS ALTCS |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | Arizona AHCCCS transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | Arizona ALTCS policy |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | Arizona ALTCS policy |
| Nursing facility income cap (2026) | $2,982 / month | 300% federal SSI rate |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Special Treatment Trust above cap | Arizona AHCCCS |
| Primary program | ALTCS nursing facility | Arizona AHCCCS |
The widget subtracts Arizona countable resources from the posted limit for your filing status. Single applicants compare savings against $2,000. Married couples where both seek ALTCS coverage use the $3,000 couple cap.
When only one spouse applies and the other stays home, the tool splits total assets. Half of the combined balance becomes the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, floored at $29,724 and capped at $162,660 for 2026. The applicant may keep $2,000 on top of that protected share.
Robert and Diane in Tucson held $214,000 between IRAs and checking. Pima County counted the IRAs, set Diane's CSRA near $107,000, and still expected Robert to spend or convert the remainder through allowed channels before the nursing facility month billed.
Common mistake: Entering only the applicant's name on joint accounts. AHCCCS divides jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on the ALTCS application packet.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars Arizona still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your local ALTCS office can reject the file if a vehicle, homestead, or promissory note was misclassified.
A $0 result means your inputs already sit at or below the limit after CSRA math. You may still owe income planning. Nursing facility applicants above $2,982 monthly gross income must route excess income through a Special Treatment Trust even when assets pass.
Teresa in Phoenix saw $0 asset spend-down but $410 monthly income over the ALTCS cap. Her attorney opened a Special Treatment Trust at an Arizona bank before AHCCCS finalized the packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic ALTCS approval. AHCCCS still checks nursing facility level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score ALTCS functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. Arizona divides the average private nursing facility rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a Sedona vacation cabin, a rental duplex in Scottsdale, or a spouse's Arizona State Retirement System account still at work. Each asset class follows a different ALTCS worksheet line.
AHCCCS also runs an estate recovery program after death for members 55 and older who received nursing facility or certain community services. Planning conversations belong with an Arizona elder law attorney before you spend six figures on home upgrades.
Common mistake: Gifting $30,000 to an adult child fourteen months before filing. AHCCCS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
Arizona administers Medicaid through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). The Department of Economic Security (DES) handles eligibility intake through Health-e-Arizona Plus. Long-term care applications for nursing facility coverage flow through the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS).
ALTCS covers skilled nursing facility care and certain home and community-based services. Asset tests follow the same $2,000 resource standard for the applicant whether the care plan starts in a Phoenix nursing home or through a Pima County waiver slot.
Arizona does not offer a medically needy income spend-down for nursing home cases the way Pennsylvania does. Families above the $2,982 monthly gross income cap must assign excess funds to a Special Treatment Trust with an Arizona trustee.
Community spouses may keep the greater of the CSRA calculation or certain income protections under spousal impoverishment rules. The state uses the federal maximum home equity cap of $713,000 in 2026 unless a spouse or dependent child still lives in the house.
Burial spaces, one vehicle, and up to $1,500 in a designated burial fund can be excluded if titled correctly. Prepaid funeral contracts follow separate AHCCCS policy memos.
Look-back reviews cover asset transfers made within 60 months before application. Penalty length equals the uncompensated transfer amount divided by the average monthly nursing home cost published by AHCCCS.
Applicants in Mesa and rural Yavapai County follow the same resource test as families in central Tucson. Waiver interest lists vary by region, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Maricopa County processes a large share of Arizona ALTCS applications. DES local offices and AHCCCS financial workers may both request bank statements, property deeds, and five years of account history before approving the first nursing facility month.
Common mistake: Assuming Arizona exempts desert land because it has no house on it. Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under ALTCS rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | Arizona rule |
|---|---|
| Primary home | Exempt if applicant, spouse, or dependent child lives there or equity is below $713,000 (2026) |
| One vehicle | Exempt regardless of value for applicant or community spouse transportation |
| Household goods | Exempt personal property in the home |
| Burial fund | Up to $1,500 in a separately designated account |
| Prepaid funeral | Irrevocable funeral contract may be exempt with AHCCCS documentation |
| Term life insurance | Exempt if face value is $1,500 or less |
| IRA / 401(k) | Countable unless receiving required minimum distributions treated as income |
| Second home or land | Countable; must be sold or spent down unless occupied by exempt relative |
Read our pillar guides for look-back rules, Miller Trusts, spousal allowances, and estate recovery. Start withwhat is Medicaid spend down or theasset limits guide if you are new to the topic.
These supporting posts cover countable assets, application steps, and spend-down strategies that pair with this calculator.
Asset caps differ sharply by state. California reinstated a $130,000 single limit in January 2026. Oklahoma and Louisiana still follow the $2,000 federal floor for many cases.
Arizona AHCCCS uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single ALTCS applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home and one car, do not count toward that cap.
Arizona does not use a medically needy income spend-down for most nursing facility cases. Applicants above the monthly income cap must use a Special Treatment Trust instead of stacking doctor bills.
When one spouse stays home, AHCCCS protects between $29,724 and $162,660 of combined countable assets for the community spouse in 2026. The applicant may keep $2,000 in addition to that protected share.
Arizona reviews asset transfers made within 60 months before your application date. Gifts, below-market sales, and some trust funding can trigger penalty months without coverage.
Nursing facility applicants with gross income above $2,982 per month in 2026 generally must deposit excess income into a Special Treatment Trust each month. The trust must be irrevocable and managed by an Arizona trustee.
DES collects ALTCS applications through Health-e-Arizona Plus, and AHCCCS financial workers review bank statements and transfer history. Call ALTCS at (888) 621-6880 or DES at (855) 432-7587 to reach your local office. Maricopa and Pima counties see the highest volume.
ALTCS may authorize certain home and community-based services after financial and clinical eligibility pass, but countable assets must still fall below $2,000 for the applicant before coverage starts. Spending down in a nursing facility and spending down while living at home follow the same resource test.
This calculator does not decide Arizona Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with Arizona AHCCCS / DES or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
