Asset spend-down estimator
West Virginia · 2026 limits
West Virginia BMS still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for nursing facility Medicaid and the Aged and Disabled Waiver. This page runs asset spend-down math for Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Kanawha County, Berkeley County, and every other West Virginia county using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets from DHHR resource assessment policy.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file through WV PATH or a local DHHR county office. The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Darlene in Huntington listed $68,200 across a City National Bank CD and a WesBanco checking account for her husband Frank. Cabell County DHHR treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $66,200 before the community spouse allowance.
Asset spend-down is separate from West Virginia's medically needy income path. Families whose monthly income exceeds the $2,982 nursing facility standard can still clear eligibility by spending excess income on medical and long-term care costs. This calculator handles countable savings only.
Common mistake: Moving Frank's IRA into Darlene's name without a plan. BMS still traces the account through five years of statements. List every account you will hand to your eligibility worker before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from West 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 | West Virginia BMS / DHHR |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | West Virginia BMS / DHHR |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | West Virginia BMS transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | DHHR Income Maintenance Manual |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | DHHR Income Maintenance Manual |
| Nursing facility income standard (2026) | $2,982 / month | 300% federal SSI rate |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Medically needy spend-down above $2,982 | West Virginia BMS / DHHR |
| Primary program | Nursing facility / Aged and Disabled Waiver | West Virginia BMS |
The widget subtracts West 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.
Norman and Ruth in Morgantown held $186,400 between IRAs and a Monongalia County credit union account. Kanawha Valley DHHR counted the IRAs, set Ruth's CSRA near $93,200, and still expected Norman to spend or convert the remainder through allowed channels before the nursing facility month billed.
The tool does not apply West Virginia burial fund exclusions or prepaid funeral credits automatically. Add those exempt amounts only if you have already designated separate accounts on your DHHR resource assessment packet.
Common mistake: Entering only the applicant's name on joint accounts. County DHHR staff divide jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on your WV PATH long-term care application.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars West Virginia still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your local DHHR 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 meet medically needy spend-down rules with medical bills or projected facility costs even when assets pass.
Lois in Charleston saw $0 asset spend-down but $380 monthly income over the nursing facility standard. Her caseworker accepted projected nursing home charges as a medical expense deduction, clearing the income side without a Miller Trust. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. BMS still checks Pre-Admission Screening forms for waiver cases, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score Aged and Disabled Waiver functional eligibility, estate recovery waivers, or penalty months from gifts. West Virginia divides the average daily nursing facility rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value a Greenbrier County cabin, gas royalty interests, or a spouse's 401(k) still at work. Each asset class follows a different DHHR worksheet line.
West Virginia also runs an estate recovery program after death for members 55 and older who received nursing facility or certain waiver services. Planning conversations belong with a West Virginia elder law attorney before you spend six figures on home repairs.
The calculator does not project patient liability after approval. DHHR 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 $15,000 to an adult child eight months before filing. BMS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
West Virginia administers Medicaid through the Bureau for Medical Services (BMS) within DHHR, with financial eligibility handled by county Department of Health and Human Resources offices. Nursing facility and Aged and Disabled Waiver applications in Kanawha, Cabell, Monongalia, and Berkeley counties follow the same long-term care resource test.
Nursing facility Medicaid covers skilled and intermediate care after a level-of-care review confirms the need. The Aged and Disabled Waiver can serve some adults in their own homes through the Bureau of Senior Services, but asset tests still follow the same $2,000 resource standard for the applicant.
West Virginia operates a medically needy income spend-down for long-term care cases rather than a strict Miller Trust rule like Kentucky or Tennessee. Families above the $2,982 monthly nursing facility standard can spend excess income on medical and care costs instead of opening a Qualified Income Trust.
Community spouses may keep the greater of the CSRA calculation or certain income protections under spousal impoverishment rules. West Virginia uses the federal 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 BMS policy guidance in the Income Maintenance Manual.
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 facility cost published by West Virginia BMS.
Rural applicants in Beckley and Parkersburg follow the same resource test as families in Charleston. Aged and Disabled Waiver slot availability varies by region, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Bureau of Senior Services staff may review clinical need for waiver paths through Pre-Admission Screening, while county DHHR determines financial eligibility. Keep both agency letters in your file when you appeal a denial.
Common mistake: Assuming West Virginia exempts a second home because a niece lives there. Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under DHHR rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | West 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 DHHR 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.
West Virginia BMS uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single nursing facility or Aged and Disabled Waiver 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. West Virginia is a medically needy state for long-term care income. Applicants above the $2,982 monthly nursing facility standard 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, county DHHR 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.
West 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 West 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 county DHHR worker.
County DHHR offices and WV PATH collect long-term care applications and resource assessment forms. Call 1-877-716-1212 to reach your local office, or 1-800-642-8589 for DoHS Client Services. Charleston, Huntington, and Morgantown offices handle the highest volume in the state.
Yes for most aged and disabled adults seeking Aged and Disabled Waiver home services. BMS still applies the $2,000 applicant resource limit and the same 60-month look-back, though functional approval follows a separate Pre-Admission Screening path through the Bureau of Senior Services.
West Virginia sets a medically needy income level of $200 per month for one person and $275 for a couple in 2026. Applicants above the $2,982 nursing facility gross income standard can spend down to that lower level using incurred medical and care costs. County DHHR workers in Berkeley County and Kanawha County apply the same formula statewide.
This calculator does not decide West Virginia Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with West Virginia BMS / DHHR or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
