Asset spend-down estimator
Indiana · 2026 limits
Indiana FSSA still counts most liquid savings toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for nursing facility Medicaid. This page runs asset spend-down math for Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Marion County, Lake County, and every other Indiana county using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file with the local Division of Family Resources (DFR) office. The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Helen in Evansville listed $83,600 across an Old National Bank CD and a Teachers Credit Union checking account for her husband Walter. Vanderburgh County DFR treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $81,600 before the community spouse allowance.
Common mistake: Retitling Walter's brokerage account into Helen's name without a written plan. FSSA still pulls five years of statements. List every account you will hand to your DFR eligibility specialist before you change ownership.
These figures come from Indiana 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 | Indiana FSSA / DFR |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | Indiana FSSA / DFR |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | Indiana FSSA transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | Indiana Medicaid eligibility manual |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | Indiana Medicaid eligibility manual |
| Nursing facility income cap (2026) | $2,901 / month | Federal SSI-related amount |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Qualified Income Trust required above cap | Indiana FSSA |
| Primary program | Nursing facility / M.E.D. Works (separate pathway) | Indiana FSSA |
The widget subtracts Indiana 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.
Frank and Ruth in Fort Wayne held $214,000 between IRAs and a First Merchants joint account. Allen County DFR counted the IRAs, set Ruth's CSRA near $107,000, and still expected Frank 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. Indiana DFR divides jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on the SFN 492 application packet.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars Indiana still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your county DFR 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 $2,901 monthly must route excess income through a Qualified Income Trust even when assets pass.
Donna in Lake County saw $0 asset spend-down but $580 monthly income over the cap. Her attorney opened a Miller Trust at a Hammond-area bank before Lake County DFR finalized the packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. FSSA still checks nursing facility level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score M.E.D. Works earned-income eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. Indiana divides the average daily nursing home rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a southern Indiana farm parcel, mineral rights, or a spouse's 403(b) still at work. Each asset class follows a different FSSA eligibility manual line.
FSSA 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 Indiana elder law attorney before you spend six figures on home renovations.
Common mistake: Gifting $18,000 to an adult child nine months before filing. FSSA can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
Indiana administers Medicaid through the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA). Long-term care applications start at your county Division of Family Resources office in places like Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Marion County, and Lake County.
Nursing facility Medicaid covers skilled nursing stays when medical necessity and asset tests pass. M.E.D. Works is a separate buy-in pathway for working Hoosiers with disabilities and does not replace the $2,000 resource standard for traditional nursing facility applicants.
Indiana does not offer a medically needy income spend-down for nursing home cases the way Pennsylvania does. Families above the $2,901 monthly income cap must assign excess funds to a Qualified Income Trust, also called a Miller Trust, with an Indiana 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 FSSA policy guidance in the Indiana Medicaid eligibility manual.
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 FSSA.
Rural applicants in Bloomington and South Bend follow the same resource test as families in suburban Hamilton County. Waiver interest lists vary by region, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Common mistake: Assuming Indiana exempts a second home because a sibling lives there rent-free. Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under FSSA rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | Indiana 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 FSSA 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.
Indiana FSSA uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single nursing facility applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home and one car, do not count toward that cap.
Indiana 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 (Miller Trust) instead of stacking doctor bills.
When one spouse stays home, county DFR 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.
Indiana 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 $2,901 per month in 2026 generally must deposit excess income into a Miller Trust each month. The trust must be irrevocable and managed by an Indiana trustee.
County Division of Family Resources offices collect the SFN 492 application and supporting statements. Call the FSSA Benefits Information Line at (800) 403-0864 for your local office. Marion, Lake, and Allen counties see the highest volume.
M.E.D. Works is a Medicaid buy-in for working Hoosiers with disabilities who meet earned-income rules. It is a separate pathway from nursing facility Medicaid and does not replace the $2,000 asset test for long-term care applicants.
No. A $0 asset result does not clear you for nursing facility coverage. FSSA still reviews level-of-care forms, Miller Trust setup when income tops $2,901 monthly, and 60-month gift history.
This calculator does not decide Indiana Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with Indiana FSSA / Division of Family Resources or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
