Medicaid law provides special protections for the spouses of Medicaid applicants to make sure the spouses have the minimum support needed to continue to live in the community while their loved one is receiving long-term care benefits, usually in a nursing home. One of the most important protections is the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA). It works this way: if the Medicaid applicant ...
The minimum CSRA for 2026 will be $32,532. State Medicaid programs can set their limits within this range. Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance for 2026 If a spouse receives long-term care benefits through Medicaid while their partner continues to reside at home, the partner at home is also allowed to receive a limited income each month.
Generally, the CSRA increases each year. Starting , a spouse who lives at home while their partner receives Medicaid long-term care benefits can retain up to $157,920 in assets (an increase from $154,140 in 2024). Some states apply a maximum CSRA as well as a minimum CSRA. Under federal law, the minimum CSRA in 2025 will be $31,584.
2024 Spousal Impoverishment Figures Note that most of the latest figures, outlined below, are effective . Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) A spouse who continues living at home while their partner receives long-term care coverage through Medicaid can keep up to $154,140 in assets starting in 2024.
Key Medicaid Information for New York Protections for the Community Spouse Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA): Minimum: $74,820.00 Maximum: $162,660.00 Increased CSRA: Permitted. New York does not follow the income-first rule. Annuities: Actuarially sound annuities are permitted. Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance: $4,066.50
Protections for the Community Spouse Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA): Minimum: $32,532.00 Maximum: $162,660.00 Increased CSRA: Permitted through appeal. Ohio follows the income-first rule. Annuities: Annuities purchased prior to the first continuous period of institutionalization are given some protected status.* Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance: Minimum: $2,643.75 Maximum: $4,066.50
Arizona Protections for the Community Spouse Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA): Minimum: $32,532.00 Maximum: $162,660.00 Increased CSRA: Permitted. Annuities: Actuarially sound annuities are permitted. Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance: Minimum: $2,644.00 Maximum: $4,066.50 2026 Medicaid Long-Term Care Benefits When You Are Married
This "community spouse resource allowance" (CSRA) adjusts each year. It is the maximum amount a state may allow the healthy spouse to retain (without a hearing or a court order). The least that a state may allow a community spouse to retain is $29,724 (in 2023). For instance, a couple has $100,000 in countable assets on the date the applicant enters a nursing home. The applicant will be ...