Asset spend-down estimator
North Carolina · 2026 limits
North Carolina DHHS still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for nursing facility Medicaid and the Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA). This page runs asset spend-down math for Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Mecklenburg County, Wake County, and every other North Carolina county using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file with the county Department of Social Services (DSS). The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Harold in Durham listed $76,800 across two CDs and a Truist checking account for his wife Margaret. Wake County DSS treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $74,800 before the community spouse allowance.
Common mistake: Moving Margaret's IRA into Harold's name without a plan. County DSS still traces the account through statements. List every account you will hand to your eligibility worker before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from North Carolina 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 | NC DHHS MA-2230 |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | NC DHHS MA-2230 |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | NC DHHS transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | NC DHHS MA-2230 |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | NC DHHS MA-2230 |
| Nursing facility income test | LTC budgeting (MA-2270) | NC DHHS |
| Income spend-down path (community) | Medically needy deductible | NC DHHS MA-2360 |
| Primary program | Nursing facility / CAP/DA waiver | NC DHHS |
The widget subtracts North Carolina 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.
William and Dorothy in Raleigh held $219,000 between IRAs and a joint money market account. Mecklenburg County DSS counted the IRAs, set Dorothy's CSRA near $109,500, and still expected William to spend or convert the remainder through allowed channels before the nursing home month billed.
The tool does not apply North Carolina's $1,500 burial fund exclusion or prepaid funeral credits automatically. Add those exempt amounts only if you have already designated separate accounts on your DSS worksheet.
Common mistake: Entering only the applicant's name on joint accounts. County DSS divides jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on the Application for Health Coverage and Help Paying Costs.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars North Carolina still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your local DSS 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 the medically needy income limit face a Medicaid deductible or patient monthly liability even when assets pass.
Patricia in Charlotte saw $0 asset spend-down but $430 monthly income over the medically needy limit. Her elder law attorney helped her meet the deductible with nursing home bills before Mecklenburg County DSS finalized the packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. County DSS still checks nursing facility level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score CAP/DA functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. North Carolina divides the average daily nursing home rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a Blue Ridge cabin, tobacco allotment income, or a spouse's 401(k) still at work. Each asset class follows a different DSS worksheet line under MA-2230.
North Carolina 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 North Carolina elder law attorney before you spend six figures on remodeling.
The calculator does not project patient monthly liability after approval. County DSS assigns a monthly share of cost based on gross income minus a personal needs allowance and certain deductions under MA-2270. That number can differ from the spend-down gap shown here.
Common mistake: Gifting $40,000 to an adult child nine months before filing. DSS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
North Carolina administers Medicaid through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Health Benefits. Long-term care applications start at the county Department of Social Services in the applicant's county of residence. Mecklenburg, Wake, and Durham counties process some of the highest nursing home volumes in the state.
Nursing facility Medicaid covers extended care in a certified skilled nursing facility. County DSS determines financial eligibility. A DHHS utilization review contractor confirms medical necessity and nursing facility level of care.
The Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) is a statewide home and community-based waiver for adults who need nursing facility level of care but want to stay home. CAP/DA slots are county-specific and may carry a waitlist even when assets pass.
North Carolina does not require Miller Trusts for most nursing home cases the way Texas and Florida do. Families above the medically needy income limit may meet a Medicaid deductible by submitting medical bills or projected nursing facility costs instead.
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 prepaid funeral contracts follow separate DHHS policy memos in MA-2230.
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 NC Medicaid.
Rural applicants in Ashe and Robeson counties follow the same resource test as families in Charlotte. CAP/DA waitlists vary by county, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Common mistake: Assuming North Carolina exempts a second home because it is "in the family." Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under DSS rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | North Carolina 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 DSS documentation |
| Term life insurance | Exempt if total face value of all policies with CSV is $10,000 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.
NC DHHS uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single nursing facility or CAP/DA applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home and one car, do not count toward that cap.
North Carolina uses medically needy Medicaid with a deductible for some community cases. Nursing facility applicants above the income limit may meet a Medicaid deductible with medical bills or face patient monthly liability under LTC budgeting rules in MA-2270.
When one spouse stays home, county DSS 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.
North Carolina 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.
North Carolina generally does not use Qualified Income Trusts for nursing facility Medicaid. Applicants above the medically needy income limit may meet a Medicaid deductible or pay patient monthly liability to the facility instead.
County DSS offices collect the Application for Health Coverage and Help Paying Costs plus supporting statements. Call the NC Medicaid Contact Center at (888) 245-0179 for routing. Mecklenburg, Wake, and Durham counties see the highest volume.
CAP/DA applicants face the same $2,000 countable resource limit as nursing facility Medicaid. Functional eligibility, nursing facility level of care, and county waitlists are separate steps DHHS and your CAP/DA case management agency handle after asset math passes.
No. Passing the $2,000 asset test here is only one step. County DSS still checks nursing facility level of care, medically needy deductible math, CAP/DA waitlist status, and five-year transfer history.
This calculator does not decide North Carolina Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with NC DHHS / county DSS or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
