Asset spend-down estimator
Pennsylvania · 2026 limits
Pennsylvania DHS still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for Medical Assistance long-term care. This page runs asset spend-down math for Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Allentown, and every other county using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets. Pennsylvania also offers a medically needy income spend-down path that Texas and Florida do not use for many nursing home cases.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file with a County Assistance Office (CAO). The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Eleanor in Erie listed $84,200 across two CDs and a PNC checking account for her husband Walter. The CAO treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $82,200 before the community spouse allowance.
Asset spend-down is separate from Pennsylvania's medically needy income path. Families whose monthly income exceeds the $425 MNIL can still clear eligibility with medical bills each budget period. This calculator handles countable savings only.
Common mistake: Moving Walter's IRA into Eleanor's name without a plan. The CAO still traces the account through statements. List every account you will hand to your eligibility worker before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from Pennsylvania 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 | PA DHS MA handbook |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | PA DHS MA handbook |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | PA DHS transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $752,000 | PA DHS LTC policy |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | PA DHS MA handbook |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | PA DHS MA handbook |
| Nursing facility income cap (2026) | $2,982 / month | 300% federal benefit rate |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Medically Needy Only at $425 MNIL | PA DHS MNO rules |
| Primary program | MA LTC / Nursing Facility | PA DHS |
The widget subtracts Pennsylvania 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.
Robert and Margaret in Lancaster held $231,000 between IRAs and a joint savings account. The CAO counted the IRAs, set Margaret's CSRA near $115,500, and still expected Robert to spend or convert the remainder through allowed channels before the nursing home month billed.
This is asset spend-down math. If your countable savings already sit below $2,000 but monthly income exceeds $425, you may need the medically needy bill route instead. A Harrisburg family with $1,400 in the bank and $1,100 monthly income over the MNIL would stack doctor and pharmacy invoices rather than sell property.
Common mistake: Entering only the applicant's name on joint accounts. The CAO divides jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on your CAO application packet.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars Pennsylvania still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your local County Assistance 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 may qualify through medically needy spend-down by submitting medical bills that reduce net income to the $425 MNIL.
Patricia in Scranton saw $0 asset spend-down but $780 monthly income over the MNIL. Her caseworker accepted six months of projected nursing facility costs as a medical expense deduction, clearing the income side without a Miller Trust. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Families in Philadelphia and Allegheny County often face both problems at once: savings above $2,000 and Social Security plus pension income above the MNIL. Work through asset spend-down first, then ask the CAO which medical bills or facility cost projections apply to your budget period.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. The CAO still checks level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score waiver functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. Pennsylvania divides the average daily nursing home rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a Pocono vacation cabin, gas royalties, or a spouse's 401(k) still at work. Each asset class follows a different DHS worksheet line.
DHS 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 Pennsylvania elder law attorney before you spend six figures on remodeling.
Medically needy spend-down uses six-month budget periods in many cases. The CAO deducts paid and unpaid medical expenses in a set order. Projected nursing facility costs can count, but only when the caseworker accepts your level-of-care determination. This calculator does not run that income worksheet.
Common mistake: Gifting $30,000 to an adult child eleven months before filing. DHS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
Pennsylvania administers Medical Assistance through the Department of Human Services (DHS). Long-term care applications start at a County Assistance Office in counties like Philadelphia, Allegheny, Dauphin, Lehigh, and Erie.
MA LTC covers nursing facility care and certain home-based services through managed care plans like UPMC Community HealthChoices and PA Health & Wellness. Asset tests still follow the same $2,000 resource standard for the applicant in most SSI-related categories.
Pennsylvania offers a medically needy income spend-down path that Texas does not use for many nursing home cases. Families above the $425 monthly MNIL can subtract medical bills each budget period. Projected nursing facility costs may also reduce countable income for applicants entering a skilled nursing home.
Community spouses may keep the greater of the CSRA calculation or certain income protections under spousal impoverishment rules. The state uses a home equity cap of $752,000 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 revocable burial fund can be excluded if titled correctly. Irrevocable burial reserves follow separate DHS policy worksheets.
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 DHS.
Rural applicants in Centre and Lycoming counties follow the same resource test as families in Pittsburgh. Waiver interest lists vary by region, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Applicants with income at or below 300% of the federal benefit rate ($2,982 monthly in 2026) may receive an additional $6,000 resource disregard on top of standard exclusions. Ask your CAO caseworker whether that disregard applies to your category.
Common mistake: Assuming Pennsylvania exempts a second home because it is "in the family." Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under DHS rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | Pennsylvania rule |
|---|---|
| Primary home | Exempt if applicant, spouse, or dependent child lives there or equity is below $752,000 (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 revocable burial reserve |
| Prepaid funeral | Irrevocable burial reserve may be exempt with DHS 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.
PA DHS uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single MA LTC applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home and one car, do not count toward that cap.
Pennsylvania's Medically Needy Only (MNO) category lets applicants subtract medical bills from income above the $425 monthly MNIL. For nursing home cases, projected facility costs over a six-month period may also count as a deduction. This is income spend-down, not the same as reducing savings below $2,000.
Asset spend-down is a one-time reduction of countable savings below $2,000 before you apply. Income spend-down repeats each budget period when monthly earnings exceed the $425 MNIL and you submit qualifying medical expenses. Many Philadelphia and Pittsburgh families need both steps.
When one spouse stays home, the CAO 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.
Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania does not require Miller Trusts the way Texas and Florida do for many nursing home cases. Applicants above the $2,982 monthly income cap often qualify through medically needy spend-down by submitting medical bills or projected nursing facility costs instead.
County Assistance Offices collect PH-95 packets and bank statements statewide. Call the DHS Consumer Service Center at (866) 550-4355 for your CAO phone number. Philadelphia, Allegheny, and Dauphin counties see the highest volume.
No. Pennsylvania runs both asset caps and Medically Needy Only income spend-down. Your CAO still reviews nursing facility level-of-care forms and six-month medical bill stacks even when assets pass.
This calculator does not decide Pennsylvania Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with PA DHS / County Assistance Offices or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
