For nursing-home Medicaid and most home-and-community-based waiver programs, the countable asset limit is $2,000 for an individual in 38 states that follow the federal SSI resource standard. California reinstated a $130,000 individual limit on January 1, 2026. New York allows $33,038 and Illinois $17,500 for the same long-term-care pathways. Your home, one vehicle, and personal belongings are usually exempt, but bank accounts, brokerage holdings, and a second property count toward the cap.
A Medicaid asset limit is the maximum value of countable resources you may own on the first day of the month you need coverage. Medicaid agencies call these resources, not assets, but families search for asset limits because that is the phrase banks and attorneys use.
The test applies at application and at each renewal. If your countable total is $2,150 on the first of the month in Ohio, you fail the resource test even if you pay $500 in legitimate bills before the 15th. You must spend down or restructure before the eligibility date.
Patricia, 78, in Columbus holds $18,400 in a checking account and $4,200 in a brokerage account. Ohio counts both toward her $2,000 cap for nursing-home Medicaid. Her paid-off Honda CR-V and her wedding ring do not count, but she still needs to reduce countable resources by $20,600 before the county will approve her application.
Asset limits sit beside income limits and clinical need rules. Passing the income test does not waive the resource test. Visit the Spend Down Calculator homepage at / for the full tool set, and read our editorial standards at editorial policy before you act on any figure here.
Common mistake:Families often assume paying monthly bills automatically brings them under the limit. Medicaid measures resources on a snapshot date, usually the first of the month. Pay bills before that date, or confirm your state counting rule with the county office.
Congress tied many Medicaid financial rules to Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI sets a $2,000 resource limit for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. Thirty-eight states use those figures as their Medicaid resource cap for aged, blind, and disabled applicants seeking nursing-home or waiver coverage.
Texas keeps the $2,000 individual cap for its STAR+PLUS waiver and institutional Medicaid. Florida uses $2,000 for its Institutional Care Program. Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio follow the same baseline for comparable long-term-care pathways in 2026.
Robert in Tampa owns $2,340 in a money-market account and nothing else countable. He is $340 over the Florida limit. He can prepay his homeowner insurance for the year, buy a new hearing aid, or pay off a small credit-card balance to reach $2,000 before filing.
The Florida spend-down calculator at florida calculator lists exempt categories Robert can fund first so he does not waste money on countable transfers.
Some states set higher limits by state law. Others use $4,000 for a couple when both spouses apply. Always check the state where the applicant will file, not where adult children live. The Texas spend-down calculator at texas calculator reflects Texas-specific rules.
Countable resources are items Medicaid treats as available to pay for care. Exempt resources are excluded no matter how much they are worth, within specific rules. The distinction drives every spend-down plan.
Countable items in nearly every state include checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, cash, and real estate that is not your primary home. Many states also count retirement accounts such as IRAs and 401(k)s unless you are taking required minimum distributions that flow into income.
Exempt items under federal SSI rules include one automobile used for transportation, household goods and personal effects, and a primary home when a spouse, minor child, or disabled child lives there. Burial spaces and up to $1,500 in burial funds are also excluded in most states.
Home equity caps add a twist. In 2026 most states set the maximum exempt home equity at $752,000 or $1,130,000 depending on state election. If equity exceeds the cap, the excess counts as a countable resource even when the applicant still lives at home.
Diane in Raleigh keeps $9,100 in savings, a $14,000 boat, and a primary residence with $180,000 in equity. North Carolina exempts the home because equity sits below the state cap, but the boat and savings are countable. She needs the North Carolina calculator at north carolina calculator to model her spend-down.
Spend Down Calculator verified Batch 1 limits against state agency publications in 2026. The table below compares the federal SSI baseline with four states families ask about most often. Figures apply to nursing-home Medicaid and HCBS waiver programs for aged and disabled applicants.
Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio align with the $2,000 individual cap in this batch. California, New York, and Illinois are the outliers families notice first when siblings live in different states.
Use the comparison as a starting point, not a final eligibility answer. New York adjusts limits annually. California phases limits down again after June 2027. Illinois has held $17,500 since May 12, 2023.
Maria has a mother in San Diego and a father-in-law in Houston. Maria assumed both could keep $130,000 because she read a national article. Texas caps her father-in-law at $2,000 while her mother keeps the California allowance. The florida calculator and ohio calculator pages show how other Batch 1 states compare.
| Jurisdiction | Individual limit | Couple (both applying) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal SSI baseline (38 states) | $2,000 | $3,000 | Used by TX, FL, GA, NC, OH and most others |
| California (Medi-Cal) | $130,000 | $195,000 | Reinstated January 1, 2026 for non-MAGI |
| New York | $33,038 | $44,796 | Higher than federal; annual adjustments |
| Illinois | $17,500 | $17,500 | Same cap whether one or both spouses apply |
| Texas | $2,000 | $3,000 | Follows federal resource standard |
| Florida | $2,000 | $3,000 | ICP and waiver programs |
| Georgia | $2,000 | $3,000 | Nursing-home and CCSP waiver |
| North Carolina | $2,000 | $3,000 | Adult care home and waiver pathways |
| Ohio | $2,000 | $3,000 | Institutional and PASSPORT waiver |
Assembly Bill 133 phased out Medi-Cal asset tests for non-MAGI programs by January 1, 2024. A 2025 budget bill brought them back. Starting January 1, 2026, California again limits countable property to $130,000 for one person plus $65,000 for each additional household member, capped at ten people.
A married couple both applying face a $195,000 combined property reserve. When one spouse enters a nursing home, spousal impoverishment rules may let the community spouse keep a Community Spouse Resource Allowance on top of the institutionalized spouse $130,000 individual cap.
MAGI-based Medi-Cal for adults under 65 still has no asset test. The reinstatement targets seniors, people with disabilities, Medicare Savings Programs, and long-term-care applicants whose eligibility is not based on tax household income.
Carlos, 71, in Fresno held $118,000 in savings during 2025 when no asset test applied. At his January 2026 renewal he must show resources at or below $130,000. He plans to prepay roof repairs and fund an irrevocable burial trust before the renewal date. The California calculator at california calculator tracks his county Medi-Cal rules.
DHCS plans to lower limits after June 30, 2027 to $21,000 for one person and $31,000 for two. Families mid-plan should watch Sacramento rule updates on the DHCS asset-limit FAQ.
Common mistake:California families who qualified in 2024 or 2025 without an asset test may assume nothing changed. Renewals on or after January 1, 2026 require countable property at or below the new cap. Report changes promptly to your county Medi-Cal office.
New York sets its own resource standards above the federal floor. In 2026 the individual asset limit for nursing-home Medicaid, Managed Long Term Care, and related aged and disabled pathways is $33,038. When both spouses apply, the combined limit is $44,796.
New York also runs a Medicaid spend-down program for applicants over the income limit, which is separate from the asset cap. A Brooklyn widow can be over monthly income yet still face the $33,038 resource test on the same application.
Eleanor, 82, in Queens holds $41,200 in CDs and $6,800 in checking. She is about $14,962 over the individual cap. New York allows her to convert excess resources into exempt items, pay legitimate debts, or fund a compliant burial arrangement before the application month.
New York does not impose a look-back period on Community Medicaid the way it does for nursing-home coverage. Asset limits still apply to both pathways. Use the New York calculator at new york calculator before transferring property.
Illinois raised its asset limit on May 12, 2023 to $17,500. That figure applies to an individual applicant and to a couple when both spouses apply. Illinois is unusual because most states double the couple limit or use $3,000 to $4,000.
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services applies the $17,500 cap to nursing-facility Medicaid, supportive living, and HCBS waiver programs for seniors and people with disabilities.
James and Linda, both 79, in Naperville hold $22,300 in joint savings. Because both plan to apply for waiver services, they must spend or exempt $4,800 to reach $17,500. If only James applied for nursing-home Medicaid, Linda could potentially keep a larger share under spousal impoverishment rules while James held $2,000.
Illinois counts retirement accounts in many cases. Verify treatment of IRAs with an elder law attorney before rolling accounts. The Illinois calculator at illinois calculator reflects the flat $17,500 cap.
Medicaid treats all assets of a married couple as owned by either spouse, regardless of whose name is on the account. The treatment splits based on how many spouses apply and which program they seek.
When both spouses apply, most states use a $3,000 combined resource limit. Illinois uses $17,500. California uses $195,000. New York uses $44,796.
When only one spouse applies for nursing-home or waiver Medicaid, the applicant spouse is usually limited to $2,000. The community spouse may keep a Community Spouse Resource Allowance between $32,532 and $162,660 in 2026, plus exempt property such as the home and one car.
Harold enters a skilled nursing facility in Atlanta while his wife Ruth remains in their paid-off home. Georgia allocates countable assets between Harold $2,000 cap and Ruth CSRA allowance. Ruth Social Security deposit does not count as Harold resource, but their joint savings do until split under state worksheet rules.
CSRA rules do not apply to every Medicaid category. Regular aged and disabled Medicaid without institutional care may still use the lower couple cap. The Georgia calculator at georgia calculator helps model one-spouse vs two-spouse scenarios.
The Affordable Care Act created MAGI-based Medicaid for children, parents, pregnant people, and expansion adults under 65. MAGI eligibility uses tax household income only. Assets do not matter in expansion states.
Non-MAGI Medicaid covers seniors, people with disabilities, Medicare beneficiaries needing help with premiums, and long-term-care applicants. These pathways still use resource tests in nearly every state.
A 45-year-old in Orlando with $80,000 in savings may qualify for Florida MAGI Medicaid with no asset review. Her 70-year-old father with the same savings needs Florida institutional Medicaid and must meet the $2,000 resource cap unless assets are exempt.
The California 2026 reinstatement applies only to non-MAGI Medi-Cal. Young adults on MAGI coverage see no change. Seniors on Medicare Savings Programs do see the $130,000 cap return.
No single national asset limit exists outside the SSI floor. The California $130,000 cap is 65 times the Texas individual limit. New York sits between the two at $33,038. Illinois carved its own middle ground at $17,500 for couples and singles alike.
Batch 1 calculators on Spend Down Calculator encode verified 2026 limits for California, New York, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio. Open the hub at calculator hub and pick the state where the applicant will file.
Ohio follows the $2,000 federal baseline but sets its own rules for retirement accounts and prepaid burial contracts. Florida exempts a homestead with caveats for equity and intent to return. Always cross-check the state page before you spend down.
Learn how our team verifies limits at about page and review the sourcing policy at editorial policy. Figures change when legislatures act, not only on January 1.
Common mistake:Families use the wrong state calculator because the parent once vacationed there. Medicaid files in the state of residence. A snowbird splitting time between Ohio and Florida must confirm domicile with an attorney before choosing ohio calculator or florida calculator.
Our calculators subtract exempt items you enter, compare the remainder to the published state asset limit, and show how many dollars you still need to spend down. Batch 1 tools include California ($130,000), New York ($33,038), Illinois ($17,500), and the $2,000 baseline states.
The widget does not know your look-back history, trust language, or pending home sale. It does not apply spousal impoverishment worksheets automatically. Use output as a math aid, then confirm with your county Medicaid office or an elder law attorney.
Start at calculator hub if you are unsure which state page to open. Each link routes to a state-specific spend-down worksheet with the limit printed at the top.
Print the results before you meet with an attorney so you start the conversation with real numbers. Bring bank statements for the same month you ran the tool. Counties often request three to five months of statements anyway.
Most states cap countable resources at $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple applying together for nursing-home or waiver Medicaid. That figure comes from the federal SSI resource standard. Exceptions include California ($130,000), New York ($33,038), and Illinois ($17,500).
Common exempt items include one vehicle, household goods, personal clothing and jewelry, and a primary home when a spouse or dependent lives there and equity sits below the state cap. Burial spaces and limited burial funds are also excluded. Bank accounts, stocks, and non-residence real estate are countable.
When both spouses apply, most states use $3,000 combined. Illinois uses $17,500 total. California allows $195,000 and New York $44,796. When only one spouse applies for institutional Medicaid, the applicant is usually limited to $2,000 and the community spouse may keep a CSRA up to $162,660 in 2026.
California eliminated non-MAGI asset tests on January 1, 2024 under AB 133. A later budget agreement reinstated them effective January 1, 2026 at $130,000 per person plus $65,000 per additional household member. MAGI Medi-Cal still has no asset test.
It depends on the state and whether you receive distributions. Many states count retirement account balances as resources. Others treat required distributions as income only. Illinois and several other states count IRAs unless structured under a specific exemption. Check your state Medicaid manual.
Your primary home is often exempt if a spouse, minor child, or blind or disabled child lives there. If you live alone in a nursing home, the home may still be exempt if you file an intent to return and equity is below the state home-equity cap ($752,000 or $1,130,000 in most states in 2026).
New York sets its own resource standards well above the $2,000 SSI floor. In 2026 the individual limit is $33,038 and the couple limit is $44,796 for long-term-care programs. New York also offers community Medicaid with different transfer rules than nursing-home coverage.
Gifts within five years of applying for nursing-home or waiver Medicaid can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay. Small gifts to charities or approved transfers to a spouse may be allowed. Consult an elder law attorney before transferring property.
