Asset spend-down estimator
New Jersey · 2026 limits
New Jersey DMAHS has not yet been logged on this site with a dated agency PDF, so this calculator applies the federal $2,000 applicant resource floor as an UNVERIFIED estimate. The tool runs asset spend-down math for Newark, Jersey City, Trenton, Bergen County, Camden, and every other county where families file nursing home and MLTSS packets with a local Board of Social Services.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file with your county Board of Social Services. The form applies the UNVERIFIED $2,000 single cap and $3,000 couple cap, plus the federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home. Confirm every dollar limit with DMAHS before you move money.
Angela in Newark listed $68,900 across a TD Bank savings account and a Vanguard brokerage IRA for her father Vincent. The Essex County worker treated both balances as countable, so the raw gap opened near $66,900 before any community spouse allowance.
Asset spend-down is separate from New Jersey income rules. Nursing home and MLTSS applicants above the monthly income standard may still need a Qualified Income Trust even when savings pass. This calculator handles countable resources only.
Common mistake: Moving Vincent's IRA into Angela's name without a plan. DMAHS still traces the account through statements. List every account you will hand to your eligibility worker before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from New Jersey 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 (UNVERIFIED) | Federal SSI-related floor |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 (UNVERIFIED) | Federal SSI-related floor |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | Federal Medicaid transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 (UNVERIFIED) | Federal minimum estimate |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 (UNVERIFIED) | Federal SSI-related estimate |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | Federal Medicaid standard |
| Nursing facility income cap (2026) | $2,901 / month (UNVERIFIED) | Federal SSI-related amount |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Qualified Income Trust above cap | NJ DMAHS policy (UNVERIFIED) |
| Primary program | Nursing facility / MLTSS managed care | NJ DMAHS |
The widget subtracts New Jersey countable resources from the posted limit for your filing status. Single applicants compare savings against the UNVERIFIED $2,000 floor. Married couples where both seek coverage use the $3,000 couple cap until DMAHS posts a different figure.
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 Bergen County held $219,000 between IRAs and a joint checking account at a local credit union. The Bergen Board of Social Services 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.
Families in Camden and Hudson County often file the same DMAHS asset worksheet whether the care plan points to a skilled nursing facility or an MLTSS managed care plan. The spend-down number does not reserve an MLTSS slot or prove clinical need.
Common mistake: Entering only the applicant's name on joint accounts. County workers divide jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on your Board of Social Services application packet.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars New Jersey still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your local Board of Social Services 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 and MLTSS applicants above the monthly income cap must route excess income through a Qualified Income Trust even when assets pass.
Maria in Jersey City saw $0 asset spend-down but $520 monthly income over the cap. Her elder law attorney opened a Qualified Income Trust at a New Jersey bank before the Hudson County worker finalized the packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Because this page is UNVERIFIED, a $0 asset gap does not mean DMAHS will accept the same figures your county used last year. Call your Board of Social Services and ask for the current resource worksheet before you pay a facility deposit.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. DMAHS still checks level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score MLTSS functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. New Jersey divides the average daily nursing home rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a Shore vacation condo, a small business interest, or a spouse's 401(k) still at work. Each asset class follows a different DMAHS worksheet line.
DMAHS 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 Jersey elder law attorney before you spend six figures on home repairs.
MLTSS enrollment routes through managed care organizations with separate clinical screens. A Trenton family can clear asset math and still wait on an MLTSS authorization while a nursing home bed opens on a different timeline.
Common mistake: Gifting $22,000 to an adult child fourteen months before filing. DMAHS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
New Jersey administers Medicaid through the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) under the Department of Human Services. Long-term care applications usually start at the county Board of Social Services in Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Bergen, and Camden counties.
Nursing facility Medicaid and MLTSS managed care both require a level-of-care determination. MLTSS plans cover home care, assisted living, and nursing home services through Horizon NJ Health, Amerigroup, and other contractors, but asset tests still follow the same countable resource standard for the applicant unless DMAHS posts a different cap.
New Jersey does not mirror New York's $33,038 resource allowance. Until we log an official DMAHS bulletin, this site treats the $2,000 single and $3,000 couple limits as UNVERIFIED federal floor estimates. Your county worker may cite a handbook figure that differs.
Applicants above the monthly income standard generally must assign excess funds to a Qualified Income Trust, also called a Miller Trust, with a New Jersey trustee. Income rules on this page carry the same UNVERIFIED flag as the asset cap.
Community spouses may keep the greater of the CSRA calculation or certain income protections under spousal impoverishment rules. The state uses a federal minimum home equity cap of $713,000 in 2026 unless a spouse or dependent child still lives in the house. Confirm the equity figure with DMAHS before you rely on it.
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 DMAHS policy memos that county workers interpret on each case.
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 DMAHS.
Urban applicants in Newark and Jersey City follow the same resource test as families in rural Salem County. MLTSS interest lists vary by region, but the UNVERIFIED $2,000 asset floor on this page does not change by zip code.
Common mistake: Assuming New Jersey exempts a second home because a sibling visits on weekends. Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under DMAHS rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | New Jersey rule |
|---|---|
| Primary home | Exempt if applicant, spouse, or dependent child lives there or equity is below $713,000 (2026, UNVERIFIED) |
| 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 (UNVERIFIED) |
| Prepaid funeral | Irrevocable funeral contract may be exempt with DMAHS 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 site lists an UNVERIFIED $2,000 countable resource limit for a single nursing home or MLTSS applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply, based on the federal SSI-related floor. DMAHS may publish a different cap. Call your county Board of Social Services before you spend assets.
New Jersey uses income spend-down paths for certain NJ FamilyCare categories, but most nursing facility and MLTSS cases above the monthly income cap require a Qualified Income Trust rather than stacking doctor bills. County workers apply DMAHS policy on each packet.
When one spouse stays home, DMAHS 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.
New Jersey 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 MLTSS applicants with gross income above $2,901 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 New Jersey trustee. Confirm the income cap with DMAHS because this figure is UNVERIFIED on this page.
County Boards of Social Services collect Medicaid applications and supporting statements for DMAHS. Call the NJ FamilyCare line at 1-800-701-0710 (TTY 711) or contact your local office in Newark, Jersey City, Trenton, Bergen County, or Camden.
Yes. MLTSS applicants face the same UNVERIFIED $2,000 countable resource limit on this page as nursing facility Medicaid. Managed care authorization, waiver slots, and level-of-care reviews are separate steps your county Board of Social Services and MLTSS plan handle after asset math passes.
This calculator does not decide New Jersey Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with NJ DMAHS / county Board of Social Services or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
