Asset spend-down estimator
Virginia · 2026 limits
Virginia DMAS still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for aged, blind, and disabled Medicaid in long-term care. This page runs asset spend-down math for Richmond, Virginia Beach, Fairfax, Norfolk, and Northern Virginia using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets. Virginia also allows 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 local Department of Social Services (DSS) office. The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Helen in Norfolk listed $76,800 across two CDs and a Navy Federal share draft for her husband Raymond. The Fairfax County DSS worker treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $74,800 before the community spouse allowance.
Asset spend-down is separate from Virginia's medically needy income path. Families whose monthly income exceeds the $2,982 special income limit can still clear eligibility by spending excess income on medical and long-term care costs. This calculator handles countable savings only.
Common mistake: Moving Raymond's IRA into Helen's name without a plan. DMAS still traces the account through statements. List every account you will hand to your eligibility worker before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from Virginia 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 | Virginia DMAS M11 ABD resources |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | Virginia DMAS M11 ABD resources |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | Virginia DMAS transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | Virginia DMAS M11 handbook |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | Virginia DMAS M11 handbook |
| Nursing facility income cap (2026) | $2,982 / month | 300% federal benefit rate |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Medically needy spend-down above $2,982 | Virginia DMAS M14 LTC |
| Primary program | CCC Plus waiver / Nursing Facility | Virginia DMAS |
The widget subtracts Virginia 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 Richmond held $219,000 between IRAs and a joint savings account. The Henrico 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.
This is asset spend-down math. If your countable savings already sit below $2,000 but monthly income exceeds $2,982, you may need the medically needy bill route instead. A Virginia Beach family with $1,600 in the bank and $920 monthly income over the special income limit would stack doctor and pharmacy invoices rather than sell property.
Common mistake: Entering only the applicant's name on joint accounts. Virginia DSS divides jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on your CommonHelp or paper application packet.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars Virginia 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 may qualify through medically needy spend-down by submitting medical bills or projected nursing facility costs that reduce net income.
Margaret in Arlington saw $0 asset spend-down but $710 monthly income over the special income limit. 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 Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads often face both problems at once: savings above $2,000 and Social Security plus pension income above the medically needy threshold. Work through asset spend-down first, then ask the DSS worker which medical bills or facility cost projections apply to your budget period.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. DMAS and local DSS still check level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score CCC Plus functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. Virginia divides the average daily nursing home rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a Shenandoah Valley farm, military retirement accounts still at work, or a spouse's deferred compensation plan. Each asset class follows a different DMAS worksheet line.
Virginia 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 Virginia elder law attorney before you spend six figures on remodeling.
Medically needy spend-down uses budget periods that local DSS staff set on your case. The worker deducts paid and unpaid medical expenses in a set order. Projected nursing facility costs can count, but only when the screener accepts your level-of-care determination. This calculator does not run that income worksheet.
Common mistake: Gifting $28,000 to an adult child eleven months before filing. DMAS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
Virginia administers Medicaid through the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS). Long-term care applications usually start at a local Department of Social Services office in cities like Richmond, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Fairfax, or through the Cover Virginia call center and CommonHelp portal.
Nursing facility care and home-based services under the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (CCC Plus) waiver follow the same $2,000 resource standard for the applicant. Managed care plans handle many waiver slots, but asset tests still follow DMAS M11 rules.
Virginia is a medically needy state for long-term care income, not an income-cap state like Texas. Families above the $2,982 monthly special income limit can spend excess income on medical and long-term care costs rather than opening a Miller Trust.
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. Prepaid funeral contracts follow separate DMAS policy 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 by DMAS.
Applicants in rural Southwest Virginia follow the same resource test as families in Northern Virginia. Waiver interest lists vary by region, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Common mistake: Assuming Virginia exempts a second home because a sibling lives there part time. Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under DMAS rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | Virginia 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 DMAS 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.
Virginia DMAS uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single aged, blind, or disabled applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home and one car, do not count toward that cap.
Yes. Virginia is a medically needy state for long-term care. Applicants above the $2,982 monthly special income limit can qualify by spending excess income on medical bills, pharmacy costs, and projected nursing facility charges rather than opening a Miller Trust.
When one spouse stays home, local 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.
Virginia 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.
Most Virginia long-term care applicants do not need a Qualified Income Trust. The state uses medically needy spend-down instead. Families above $2,982 monthly income submit medical bills or facility cost projections to the local DSS worker.
Local Department of Social Services offices collect CommonHelp applications and supporting statements. Call Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282 or DMAS at (804) 786-7933 for your local office. Richmond, Fairfax, and Virginia Beach hubs see the highest volume.
No. A $0 asset result does not clear you for nursing facility or CCC Plus coverage. DMAS and local DSS still review level-of-care forms, medically needy income worksheets, and 60-month gift history.
Yes. CCC Plus applicants face the same $2,000 countable resource limit as nursing facility Medicaid. Functional eligibility, pre-admission screening, and waiver slot availability are separate steps DMAS and managed care plans handle after asset math passes.
This calculator does not decide Virginia Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with Virginia DMAS / local DSS or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
