Asset spend-down estimator
New Hampshire · 2026 limits
New Hampshire DHHS still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for nursing facility care and the Choices for Independence (CFI) waiver. This page runs asset spend-down math for Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Hillsborough County, Rockingham County, and every other New Hampshire town using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets and DHHS long-term care policy.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file with New Hampshire DHHS. The form applies the $2,000 single cap, the $3,000 couple cap when both spouses apply from the community, and the 2026 CSRA range ($32,532 to $162,660) when one spouse stays home.
Patricia in Manchester listed $73,200 across a St. Mary's Bank share draft and a Fidelity brokerage IRA for her husband Richard. Hillsborough County DHHS counted the IRA, so the raw gap opened near $71,200 before the community spouse resource allowance.
Asset spend-down is separate from New Hampshire income rules. Nursing facility residents assign most monthly income toward the cost of care after a personal needs allowance. CFI waiver applicants face a 300% federal benefit rate income test ($2,982 per month in 2026). This calculator handles countable savings only.
Common mistake: Moving Richard's IRA into Patricia's name without a plan. DHHS still traces the account through five years of statements. List every account you will hand to your ServiceLink counselor before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from New Hampshire 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 | New Hampshire DHHS LTC policy (UNVERIFIED) |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | New Hampshire DHHS community standard (UNVERIFIED) |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $32,532 | New Hampshire DHHS spousal impoverishment (UNVERIFIED) |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | New Hampshire DHHS transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum (UNVERIFIED for NH) |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | New Hampshire DHHS policy |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | New Hampshire DHHS policy |
| CFI waiver income cap (2026) | $2,982 / month | 300% federal benefit rate |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Qualified Income Trust required above cap | New Hampshire DHHS |
| Primary program | Nursing facility / Choices for Independence waiver | New Hampshire DHHS |
The widget subtracts New Hampshire countable resources from the posted limit for your filing status. Single applicants compare savings against $2,000. Married couples where both seek coverage from the community 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 $32,532 and capped at $162,660 for 2026. The applicant may keep $2,000 on top of that protected share.
Helen and George in Nashua held $231,000 between George's 401(k) and a joint Merrimack County Savings Bank account. DHHS counted the retirement account, set Helen's CSRA near $115,500, and still expected George to spend or convert the remainder through allowed channels before the nursing facility month billed.
Families in Rockingham and Hillsborough counties follow the same asset test as applicants in Coos or Carroll counties. CFI waiver slot availability varies by region, but the $2,000 applicant cap in this tool does not.
Common mistake: Entering only the applicant's name on joint accounts. New Hampshire DHHS divides jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove sole ownership with bank letters. Type the full household balance you expect on your Medicaid application packet.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars New Hampshire still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your DHHS worker 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 residents assign most monthly income to the facility after allowable deductions even when assets pass the $2,000 threshold.
Carol in Concord saw $0 asset spend-down but $390 monthly income over the CFI waiver cap. Her attorney funded a New Hampshire Qualified Income Trust before DHHS finalized the packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. DHHS workers still check nursing facility level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score CFI waiver functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. New Hampshire divides the average daily nursing facility cost into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes when DHHS posts new rates.
The form does not value a Lakes Region camp lot, a Portsmouth rental condo, or a spouse's pension still at work. Each asset class follows a different New Hampshire DHHS worksheet line.
New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire elder law attorney before you spend six figures on home modifications in Bedford or Hanover.
DHHS posted a $6,000 resource disregard for some nursing facility and CFI cases that can raise the effective limit to $7,500. CFI waiver rules also treat a community spouse's separate assets differently than nursing facility cases. This calculator uses the standard $2,000/$3,000 model until limits are verified against current DHHS releases.
Common mistake: Gifting $22,000 to an adult child seven months before filing. New Hampshire DHHS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt, care invoices, and allowed home repairs instead.
New Hampshire administers Medicaid through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Long-term care applications usually start through ServiceLink at 1-866-634-9412 or a local DHHS district office in Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Hillsborough County, and Rockingham County.
Nursing facility Medicaid covers room, board, and skilled care when an applicant meets level-of-care and financial tests. The Choices for Independence (CFI) waiver serves adults who qualify for nursing facility care but want to remain at home with personal care, adult day, and other community supports.
New Hampshire uses a $2,000 countable asset limit for the institutionalized spouse in this calculator model. Couples living together in the community face a $3,000 combined asset cap when both apply. The community spouse resource allowance protects between $32,532 and $162,660 in 2026 for nursing facility cases.
Nursing facility residents do not face a simple income cap the way CFI waiver applicants do in the community. New Hampshire assigns most monthly income toward the cost of care after allowable deductions, including a personal needs allowance. Some applicants may need a Qualified Income Trust when gross income exceeds $2,982 per month in 2026.
CFI waiver applicants must meet DHHS financial rules in the community, including countable assets at or below the posted limit and monthly income at or below 300% of the federal benefit rate ($2,982 in 2026). Income above that threshold may require a Qualified Income Trust before DHHS approves home-based services.
New Hampshire applies a home equity limit of $713,000 in 2026 for long-term care cases unless a spouse, dependent child, or certain sibling still lives in the home. Burial spaces, one vehicle, and up to $1,500 in a designated burial fund can be excluded if titled correctly.
Look-back reviews cover asset transfers made within 60 months before application. Penalty length equals the uncompensated transfer amount divided by the average daily nursing facility cost New Hampshire DHHS publishes.
Applicants who exceed the asset limit receive notice and may have a limited window to spend down through allowed channels, such as paying off debt, purchasing exempt items, or completing a spousal asset shift. DHHS tracks each transaction against the Medical Assistance Manual.
Common mistake: Assuming New Hampshire exempts a second home because family visits on weekends. Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under DHHS rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | New Hampshire 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 DHHS 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.
This calculator uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single nursing facility or CFI waiver applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply from the community. Limits are marked UNVERIFIED until confirmed against current DHHS releases. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home and one car, do not count toward that cap.
The Choices for Independence (CFI) waiver is New Hampshire's home and community-based services program for adults who need nursing facility level of care but want to stay home. DHHS coordinates personal care, adult day, and other supports through ServiceLink and local providers. Slot availability and separate financial rules may apply beyond this asset calculator.
When one spouse enters a nursing facility and the other stays home, New Hampshire DHHS protects between $32,532 and $162,660 of combined countable assets for the community spouse in 2026. The institutionalized spouse may keep $2,000 in addition to that protected share under standard spousal impoverishment rules.
New Hampshire DHHS 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 and CFI waiver 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 according to New Hampshire DHHS requirements.
New Hampshire DHHS and ServiceLink Aging and Disability Resource Centers collect Medicaid applications and financial documents. Call ServiceLink at 1-866-634-9412 for help with your case. Manchester, Nashua, and Concord district offices see the highest long-term care volume.
CFI waiver applicants must meet DHHS financial rules, but New Hampshire treats some married-spouse asset rules differently for home-based waiver cases than for nursing facility admissions. Confirm your filing path with DHHS before you rely on CSRA math from this page alone.
This calculator does not decide New Hampshire Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with New Hampshire DHHS / DHHS or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
