Asset spend-down estimator
South Carolina · 2026 limits
South Carolina SCDHHS still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for nursing facility Medicaid and the Community Choices waiver. This page runs asset spend-down math for Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Richland County, Charleston County, and every other South 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) or through Healthy Connections. The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Eleanor in Charleston listed $68,200 across a First Citizens CD and an SC Federal Credit Union share draft for her husband Walter. Charleston County DSS treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $66,200 before the community spouse allowance.
Common mistake: Moving Walter's IRA into Eleanor's name without a plan. SCDHHS still traces the account through statements. List every account you will hand to your eligibility specialist before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from South 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 | SCDHHS ABD policy |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | SCDHHS ABD policy |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | SCDHHS transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | SCDHHS policy |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | SCDHHS policy |
| Nursing facility income cap (2026) | $2,982 / month | 300% federal SSI rate |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Qualified Income Trust required above cap | SCDHHS |
| Primary program | Nursing facility / Community Choices waiver | SCDHHS |
The widget subtracts South 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.
Frank and Helen in Greenville held $234,000 between IRAs and a joint checking account. Richland County DSS counted the IRAs, set Helen's CSRA near $117,000, and still expected Frank to spend or convert the remainder through allowed channels before the nursing facility month billed.
The tool does not apply South Carolina burial fund exclusions or prepaid funeral credits automatically. Add those exempt amounts only if you have already designated separate accounts on your DSS resource assessment packet.
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 your Healthy Connections application.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars South 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 $2,982 monthly gross income must route excess income through a Qualified Income Trust even when assets pass.
Dorothy in Columbia saw $0 asset spend-down but $520 monthly income over the Medicaid income cap. Her attorney opened a Miller Trust at a South Carolina bank before SCDHHS finalized the packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. SCDHHS still checks nursing facility level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score Community Choices functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. South Carolina divides the average daily nursing home rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a Lowcountry marsh lot, timber acreage in the Upstate, or a spouse's 401(k) still at work. Each asset class follows a different SCDHHS worksheet line.
South Carolina also runs an estate recovery program after death for members 55 and older who received nursing facility or certain Community Choices services. Planning conversations belong with a South Carolina elder law attorney before you spend six figures on hurricane repairs.
The calculator does not project patient liability after approval. SCDHHS assigns a monthly share of cost based on gross income minus a personal needs allowance and certain deductions. That number can differ from the spend-down gap shown here.
Common mistake: Gifting $22,000 to an adult child ten months before filing. SCDHHS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
South Carolina administers Medicaid through the Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS), with financial eligibility determined by county Department of Social Services offices. Nursing facility and Community Choices cases in Charleston, Richland, and Greenville counties follow the same Aged, Blind, and Disabled resource test.
Nursing facility Medicaid covers extended care in a certified skilled nursing facility after SCDHHS confirms medical necessity and nursing facility level of care. The Community Choices waiver serves adults who need that level of care but prefer home- and community-based services instead of institutional placement.
South Carolina does not offer a medically needy income spend-down for most nursing facility cases the way Pennsylvania does. Families above the $2,982 monthly Medicaid income cap must assign excess funds to a Qualified Income Trust, also called a Miller Trust, with a South Carolina trustee.
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 SCDHHS policy guidance.
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 SCDHHS.
Rural applicants in Beaufort and Spartanburg counties follow the same resource test as families in Columbia. Community Choices slot availability varies by region, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Healthy Connections case managers may review functional need for waiver paths, while county DSS determines financial eligibility. Keep both agency letters in your file when you appeal a denial.
Common mistake: Assuming South Carolina exempts a second home because a relative visits on weekends. Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under SCDHHS rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | South 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 SCDHHS 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.
SCDHHS uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single nursing facility or Community Choices applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home and one car, do not count toward that cap.
South Carolina does not use a medically needy income spend-down for most nursing facility cases. Applicants above the $2,982 monthly Medicaid income cap must use a Qualified Income Trust instead of stacking doctor bills.
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.
South 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.
Nursing facility applicants with gross income above $2,982 per month in 2026 generally must deposit excess income into a Miller Trust each month. The trust must be irrevocable and managed by a South Carolina trustee.
County DSS offices collect Healthy Connections applications and resource assessment forms. Call the SCDHHS Member Services line at (888) 549-0820 for routing help. Charleston, Richland, and Greenville counties see the highest nursing facility volume.
Yes for most aged and disabled adults seeking Community Choices home- and community-based services. SCDHHS still applies the $2,000 applicant resource limit and the same 60-month look-back, though functional approval follows a separate level-of-care review.
No. Passing the $2,000 asset test here is only one step. County DSS still checks nursing facility level of care, Qualified Income Trust setup when income tops $2,982 monthly, Community Choices slot availability, and five-year transfer history.
This calculator does not decide South Carolina Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with South Carolina DSS / SCDHHS or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
