Asset spend-down estimator
Louisiana · 2026 limits
Louisiana LDH still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for nursing facility Medicaid and certain NOW waiver paths. This page runs asset spend-down math for New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Orleans Parish, Jefferson Parish, and every other Louisiana parish using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file with Louisiana LDH Medicaid. The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Claudette in Jefferson Parish listed $58,300 across a Hancock Whitney savings account and a brokerage statement for her husband Andre. LDH treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $56,300 before the community spouse allowance.
Common mistake: Moving Andre's IRA into Claudette's name without a plan. LDH still traces the account through monthly statements. List every account you will hand to your Medicaid eligibility specialist before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from Louisiana 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 | Louisiana LDH Medicaid |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | Louisiana LDH Medicaid |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | Louisiana LDH transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | Louisiana LDH policy |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | Louisiana LDH policy |
| Nursing facility income cap (2026) | $2,982 / month | 300% federal SSI rate |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Qualified Income Trust required above cap | Louisiana LDH |
| Primary program | Nursing facility / NOW waiver | Louisiana LDH |
The widget subtracts Louisiana 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.
Terrence and Yvonne in Baton Rouge held $176,400 between IRAs and a credit union account. LDH counted the IRAs, set Yvonne's CSRA near $88,200, and still expected Terrence 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. LDH divides jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on your Medicaid application packet.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars Louisiana still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your local LDH eligibility 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 Qualified Income Trust even when assets pass.
Renee in Shreveport saw $0 asset spend-down but $520 monthly income over the Medicaid Income Cap. Her attorney opened a Miller Trust at a Louisiana bank before LDH finalized the packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. LDH still checks level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score NOW waiver functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. Louisiana divides the average daily nursing home rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a family camp in Acadiana, mineral rights on inherited land, or a spouse's 401(k) still at work. Each asset class follows a different LDH worksheet line.
Louisiana also runs an estate recovery program after death for members 55 and older who received nursing facility or certain waiver services. Planning conversations belong with a Louisiana elder law attorney before you spend six figures on hurricane repairs.
Common mistake: Gifting $22,000 to an adult child ten months before filing. LDH can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
Louisiana administers Medicaid through the Department of Health (LDH). Long-term care applications usually start at a local LDH Medicaid eligibility office or through the Louisiana Medicaid Customer Service line serving parishes like Orleans, East Baton Rouge, and Caddo.
Nursing facility Medicaid covers skilled and intermediate care after LDH confirms the need for that level of care. The New Opportunities Waiver (NOW) can serve some adults in community settings, but asset tests still follow the same $2,000 resource standard for the applicant on most aged and disabled paths.
Louisiana does not offer a medically needy income spend-down for nursing home 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 Louisiana 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 LDH policy guidance.
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 LDH.
Applicants in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish follow the same resource test as families in rural north Louisiana. NOW waiver interest lists vary by region, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Common mistake: Assuming Louisiana exempts a second home because relatives stay there part-time. Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under LDH rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | Louisiana 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 LDH 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.
Louisiana LDH 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.
Louisiana does not use a medically needy income spend-down for most nursing facility cases. Applicants above the $2,982 monthly Medicaid Income Cap must use a Qualified Income Trust instead of stacking doctor bills.
When one spouse stays home, LDH 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.
Louisiana 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 Miller Trust each month. The trust must be irrevocable and managed by a Louisiana trustee.
LDH Medicaid eligibility offices and the Louisiana Medicaid Customer Service line collect applications and resource assessment forms. Call 1-888-342-6207 for help. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport offices handle the highest volume.
Most aged and disabled adults seeking the New Opportunities Waiver still face the $2,000 applicant resource limit and the same 60-month look-back. Functional approval follows a separate LDH assessment path from the nursing facility level-of-care review.
This calculator does not decide Louisiana Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with Louisiana LDH / Medicaid or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
