Asset spend-down estimator
Georgia · 2026 limits
Georgia DFCS still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for nursing home Medicaid and the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP). This page runs asset spend-down math for Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta, Fulton County, DeKalb County, and every other Georgia county using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file through Georgia Gateway or a county DFCS office. The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Patricia in DeKalb County listed $76,800 across two CDs and a SunTrust checking account for her husband Raymond. DFCS treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $74,800 before the community spouse allowance.
Common mistake: Moving Raymond's IRA into Patricia's name without a plan. DFCS still traces the account through statements. List every account you will hand to your Medicaid eligibility specialist before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from Georgia 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 | Georgia DFCS ABD policy |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | Georgia DFCS ABD policy |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | Georgia DFCS transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | Up to $10,000 per person | Georgia PAMMS 2312 |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | Georgia DFCS ABD policy |
| Nursing facility income cap (2026) | $2,982 / month | 300% federal benefit rate |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Qualified Income Trust required above cap | Georgia DCH |
| Primary program | Nursing home Medicaid / EDWP | Georgia DCH |
The widget subtracts Georgia countable resources from the posted limit for your filing status. Single applicants compare savings against $2,000. Married couples where both seek 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.
Harold and Diane in Fulton County held $219,000 between IRAs and a joint money market account. DFCS counted the IRAs, set Diane's CSRA near $109,500, and still expected Harold to spend or convert the remainder through allowed channels before the nursing home month billed.
Common mistake: Entering only the applicant's name on joint accounts. DFCS divides jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on your Georgia Gateway application.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars Georgia still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your county DFCS 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 must route excess income through a Qualified Income Trust even when assets pass.
Lorraine in Savannah saw $0 asset spend-down but $520 monthly income over the cap. Her attorney opened a Qualified Income Trust at a Georgia bank before DFCS finalized the packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. DFCS still checks level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score EDWP functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. Georgia divides the average daily nursing home rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a North Georgia mountain cabin, timber rights, or a spouse's 401(k) still at work. Each asset class follows a different DFCS worksheet line.
DCH 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 a Georgia elder law attorney before you spend six figures on remodeling.
Common mistake: Gifting $20,000 to an adult child fourteen months before filing. DFCS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
Georgia administers Medicaid through the Department of Community Health (DCH) and the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Long-term care applications start at county DFCS offices or online through Georgia Gateway in counties like Fulton, Chatham, Richmond, DeKalb, and Cobb.
Nursing home Medicaid covers skilled nursing facility care for aged, blind, or disabled applicants who meet income and resource tests. The Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) offers home and community-based services, but asset tests still follow the same $2,000 resource standard for the applicant in most cases.
Georgia does not use a medically needy income spend-down for most nursing facility cases the way Pennsylvania does. Families above the $2,982 monthly income cap must assign excess funds to a Qualified Income Trust, also called a Miller Trust, with a Georgia 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 $10,000 in designated burial funds per person can be excluded for ABD long-term care applicants if titled correctly and documented on Form 985. Prepaid funeral contracts follow separate PAMMS policy worksheets.
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 DCH.
Rural applicants in Valdosta and Rome follow the same resource test as families in Atlanta. EDWP waiver interest lists vary by region, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Common mistake: Assuming Georgia exempts a second home because it is "in the family." Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under DFCS rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | Georgia 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 $10,000 per person in a separately designated account for ABD long-term care |
| Prepaid funeral | Irrevocable funeral contract may be exempt with DFCS 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.
Georgia DFCS uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single nursing home or EDWP applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home and one car, do not count toward that cap.
Georgia does not use a medically needy income spend-down for most nursing facility cases. Applicants above the monthly income cap must use a Qualified Income Trust instead of stacking doctor bills.
When one spouse stays home, DFCS 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.
Georgia 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 Qualified Income Trust each month. The trust must be irrevocable and managed by a Georgia trustee.
County DFCS offices and Georgia Gateway staff collect financial statements and supporting documents. Call the DFCS Customer Contact Center at (877) 423-4746 for routing. Fulton, DeKalb, and Chatham counties see the highest volume.
Yes. EDWP applicants face the same $2,000 countable resource limit as nursing facility Medicaid. When a community spouse stays home, combined countable assets must stay within spousal impoverishment limits, and the applicant must transfer excess assets to the spouse within one year of eligibility. Functional eligibility and waiver slot availability are separate steps DCH handles after asset math passes.
No. A $0 asset result does not clear you for nursing home or EDWP coverage. DFCS still reviews level-of-care forms, Qualified Income Trust setup when income tops $2,982 monthly, and 60-month gift history.
This calculator does not decide Georgia Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with Georgia DCH / DFCS or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
