Asset spend-down estimator
New York · 2026 limits
New York posts a $33,038 countable resource limit for many long-term care applicants, far above the $2,000 cap most states use for nursing home cases. This page runs asset spend-down math for Brooklyn, Buffalo, Albany, Rochester, and every other county using 2026 federal CSRA figures and NY Department of Health policy.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file with your local Medicaid district. The form applies the $33,038 single cap, the same $33,038 limit when both spouses apply together, and the federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when one spouse stays home.
Elena in Queens listed $94,200 across two savings accounts and a brokerage IRA for her mother Rosa. The HRA worker counted the IRA, so the raw gap opened near $61,162 before any community spouse allowance or exempt home equity.
Common mistake: Assuming Rosa's co-op apartment in Astoria is exempt without checking equity. NY counts excess home equity above $713,000 in 2026 unless a spouse, dependent child, or sibling with an equity interest still lives there. Get a current appraisal before you move money.
These figures come from New York 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 | $33,038 | NY DOH GIS 25/MA/001 |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $33,038 | NY DOH GIS 25/MA/001 |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | NY DOH transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | NY DOH Medicaid reference |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | NY DOH Medicaid reference |
| Nursing home income standard (2026) | $1,957 / month | Federal SSI-related amount |
| Income spend-down path | Excess Income Program or pooled trust | NY DOH |
| Primary program | Chronic Care / MLTC managed care | NY DOH |
The widget subtracts New York countable resources from the posted limit for your filing status. Single applicants compare savings against $33,038. Married couples where both seek coverage use the same $33,038 combined 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 $33,038 on top of that protected share in many chronic care cases.
David and Patricia in Rochester held $312,000 between Patricia's 401(k) and joint checking. Monroe County DSS counted the retirement account, set David's CSRA near $156,000, and still expected Patricia to spend or convert the remainder through allowed channels before the nursing home month billed.
Common mistake: Entering only Patricia's name on joint accounts. NY districts divide jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove sole ownership with bank letters. Type the full household balance you expect on the LDSS-486T or HRA equivalent.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars New York still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your local district 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 the monthly income standard must route excess funds through the Excess Income Program or a pooled trust even when assets pass.
Maria in the Bronx saw $0 asset spend-down but $480 monthly income over the cap. Her elder law attorney opened a NY pooled income trust before HRA finalized the Chronic Care packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. HRA and upstate DSS offices still check level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score MLTC functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. New York divides the average monthly nursing home cost for your region into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with posted rates.
The form does not value a Finger Lakes vineyard, a rent-stabilized co-op succession right, or a spouse's pension still at work. Each asset class follows a different NY DOH worksheet line.
NY 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 York elder law attorney before you spend six figures on home modifications in Westchester or Nassau County.
Common mistake: Gifting $30,000 to an adult child eight months before filing. NY can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $33,038. Pay legitimate debt, care invoices, and allowed home repairs instead.
New York administers Medicaid through the Department of Health (DOH), but local districts process applications. NYC residents file with the Human Resources Administration (HRA) in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island. Upstate families work with county Departments of Social Services in places like Erie, Albany, Monroe, and Onondaga counties.
Chronic Care Medicaid covers nursing facility stays. Community Medicaid and Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) plans cover home health aides, personal care, and adult day programs. Both paths use the $33,038 resource standard in 2026, but functional tests and enrollment steps differ sharply.
Nursing home applicants face a level-of-care screen and a facility placement. MLTC applicants must show need for community-based services and enroll with a plan such as VNS Health, Elderplan, or Fidelis before aides start regular shifts.
New York offers an Excess Income Program that Texas does not mirror for nursing home cases. Families above the monthly income standard can spend down medical bills to qualify. Community applicants may also assign excess income to a pooled trust approved by NY DOH.
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. Irrevocable funeral trusts and prepaid contracts follow separate NY DOH GIS memos.
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 for your NY region.
Families in Buffalo and families in Brooklyn follow the same $33,038 asset test, but MLTC plan networks and aide availability vary by borough and county. Chronic Care nursing home slots do not use the same wait lists as home-care authorization.
Common mistake: Assuming NY exempts a second home in the Catskills because it is "for the family." Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under DOH rules. Budget property taxes, co-op flip taxes, and broker fees before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | New York 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 trust or contract may be exempt with DOH 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.
NY DOH lists a $33,038 countable resource limit for a single Chronic Care or community Medicaid applicant and the same $33,038 figure when both spouses apply. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home within the equity cap and one car, do not count toward that limit.
Yes. New York runs an Excess Income Program that lets applicants above the monthly income standard qualify by incurring or paying medical expenses, including nursing home charges, to reduce countable income each month.
When one spouse stays home, NY protects between $29,724 and $162,660 of combined countable assets for the community spouse in 2026. The applicant may keep up to $33,038 in addition to that protected share under Chronic Care rules.
New York 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.
Chronic Care Medicaid pays for nursing facility stays after a level-of-care determination. MLTC is a managed care program that authorizes home health aides, personal care, and adult day services in the community. Both use the $33,038 resource test in 2026, but enrollment paths, functional screens, and plan networks differ.
HRA handles NYC cases across all five boroughs at (718) 557-1399. Upstate counties route files through local DSS offices. Call the NY Medicaid helpline at (800) 541-2831 to find your district worker.
Community Medicaid and MLTC applicants with income above the monthly standard often assign excess funds to a NY-approved pooled income trust each month. Nursing home cases more commonly use the Excess Income Program, though fact patterns vary.
No. Chronic Care nursing home Medicaid and MLTC home-care plans use different clinical screens. Your district still checks hospitalization records, pooled trust deposits, and spousal refusal filings after asset math.
This calculator does not decide New York Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with NY DOH or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
