How long will savings cover nursing home care?

When Medicaid can help

Medicaid pays for long-term nursing home care once a person’s income and savings are low enough. Each state sets its own limits, so check with your state’s Medicaid office before you plan around them. As a guide, using the official 2026 federal figures:

• 1
  SavingsMost states allow a single person about $2,000 in countable savings. The home, one car and personal belongings usually don’t count while a spouse lives there or the person may return home; states set a home-equity limit between $752,000 and $1,130,000.
• 2
  IncomeMany states cap income at $2,982 a month (three times the $994 SSI rate) but let people above it qualify through a special trust; others count medical bills against income. Once on Medicaid, most of the person’s income goes toward the cost of care, minus a small personal allowance.
• 3
  A spouse at home is protectedThe husband or wife at home keeps part of the couple’s savings (between $32,532 and $162,660 in 2026, depending on the state) and enough income to reach at least $2,705 a month.
• 4
  Gifts are checkedMedicaid looks back at gifts and transfers made in the five years before applying, and giving money away can delay coverage. Talk to an elder law attorney before moving assets.

Find your state’s Medicaid office through Medicaid.gov. Federal figures: CMS 2026 spousal impoverishment standards and SSA 2026 SSI amounts.