01. Overview & references
Pennsylvania’s long-term-care financial rules cannot be reduced to one income figure and one asset figure. The Department of Human Services publishes a 2026 non-money-payment reference of $2,982 monthly income, but the resource treatment changes with the financial route. Nursing-facility services and Community HealthChoices HCBS also require care-related eligibility. Start with the county assistance office for the financial case and identify the service program separately. A person may be enrolled in CHC for coordination without automatically qualifying for every long-term-care benefit or a paid family attendant.
- State Medicaid program
- Pennsylvania Medical Assistance
- Income pathway
- Medically needy / spend-down pathway
- Nursing-home look-back reference
- 60 months
- Home-equity reference
- $752,000
- Personal-needs allowance reference
- Program-specific; see notes
- Reviewed
- 2026-11-16
Read the program row before using any number. A nursing-facility pathway, a particular home-care waiver and regular coverage for older or disabled adults can use different financial tests. A published financial standard does not establish the required level of care, reserve a waiver place or pay every assisted-living expense. Confirm the exact category with the agency.
02. Income & asset table
A countable-income standard is not the same as a gross-income ceiling. Deductions, disregards and ownership rules may affect what the agency counts. For a married applicant, ask whose income is being evaluated and whether the resource figure is individual or combined. Where the available source does not support one comparable number, this guide leaves it unspecified instead of estimating it.
| Care category | Income references | Countable-asset references | CSRA maximum reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistance nursing-facility: NMP or medically needyAnticipated facility costs may be deductible in a medically-needy six-month budget; do not treat 2982 as the only possible route. | Single: $2,982NMP category reference, not a universal denial threshold. The county must determine the financial route.Married, one applies: $2,982NMP category reference, not a universal denial threshold. The county must determine the financial route.Married, both apply: Program-specific; see notesReference for the NMP route; other income budgeting may apply. Both-applicant aggregation must be confirmed. | Single: Program-specific; see notesDHS lists $2,000 plus a $6,000 disregard at or below the 300%FBR income standard; above it, the listed resource limit is $2,400. No single amount is safely comparable here.Married, one applies: Program-specific; see notesDHS lists $2,000 plus a $6,000 disregard at or below the 300%FBR income standard; above it, the listed resource limit is $2,400. No single amount is safely comparable here. Spousal allocation must be assessed separately.Married, both apply: Program-specific; see notesDHS lists $2,000 plus a $6,000 disregard at or below the 300%FBR income standard; above it, the listed resource limit is $2,400. No single amount is safely comparable here. | $162,660Community spouse only; program applicability and allocation must be assessed. |
| Community HealthChoices HCBS: county financial reviewDHS discusses HCBS alongside LTC, but its anticipated nursing-facility expense deduction must not automatically be applied to home care. | Single: $2,982NMP category reference, not a universal denial threshold. The county must determine the financial route.Married, one applies: $2,982NMP category reference, not a universal denial threshold. The county must determine the financial route.Married, both apply: Program-specific; see notesReference for the NMP route; other income budgeting may apply. Both-applicant aggregation must be confirmed. | Single: Program-specific; see notesDHS lists $2,000 plus a $6,000 disregard at or below the 300%FBR income standard; above it, the listed resource limit is $2,400. No single amount is safely comparable here.Married, one applies: Program-specific; see notesDHS lists $2,000 plus a $6,000 disregard at or below the 300%FBR income standard; above it, the listed resource limit is $2,400. No single amount is safely comparable here. Spousal allocation must be assessed separately.Married, both apply: Program-specific; see notesDHS lists $2,000 plus a $6,000 disregard at or below the 300%FBR income standard; above it, the listed resource limit is $2,400. No single amount is safely comparable here. | $162,660Community spouse only; program applicability and allocation must be assessed. |
| Aged, blind or disabled community Medical Assistance categoriesHealthy Horizons and other community pathways have their own rules; financial eligibility is not established by the LTC table. | Single: Program-specific; see notesThe applicable community category and deductions need confirmation; the LTC 300%reference is not imported.Married, one applies: Program-specific; see notesHousehold budgeting and spouse income treatment need county review.Married, both apply: Program-specific; see notesNo verified combined figure for all community aged/disabled categories. | Single: Program-specific; see notesNo universal community resource threshold verified for this broad category.Married, one applies: Program-specific; see notesNo applicant-only asset amount inferred from a couple category.Married, both apply: Program-specific; see notesCounty must identify the coverage group and combined treatment. | Not inferred for regular coverageCommunity spouse only; program applicability and allocation must be assessed. |
03. Countable & excluded assets
DHS lists a $2,000 resource limit plus a $6,000 disregard when income is at or below the 300%FBR reference. Above that income level, its published resource limit is $2,400. That is why the calculator leaves the comparable asset amount blank instead of displaying an unconditional $8,000. The home may be excluded under specified occupancy and equity conditions; a vehicle and certain burial arrangements also receive exclusions. Ask the county to show which items were counted and which were disregarded, especially if an account has more than one owner.
Keep the ownership question separate from the exclusion question. A bank balance or property value alone does not establish what the agency counts. Document ownership, debt, accessibility and the reason for any proposed exclusion. Do not assume that renaming an account or transferring an asset makes it exempt.
| Often considered countable | Potential exclusions — verify conditions |
|---|---|
| Bank deposits, accessible investments, securities and other real estate may require valuation. | A principal home, a vehicle, personal effects and certain burial or life-insurance arrangements may qualify under specific rules. |
04. Community-spouse protections
A community spouse can have resources protected through a formal assessment. Pennsylvania describes a share based on the couple’s resources, bounded by the 2026 minimum and maximum, with $162,660 as the published maximum. Form PA 1572 is the resource-assessment route identified by DHS. A possible income allowance is a separate calculation involving the spouse’s income and shelter costs. Do not compare total marital savings with the applicant’s individual resource test. If both spouses require care, ask for the applicable both-applicant treatment rather than assuming two community-spouse allowances.
A community-spouse allowance is an assessment rule, not a cash payment or an automatic entitlement to the displayed maximum. The income allowance and resource allowance are separate calculations. Federal benchmarks can help identify which questions to ask, but they do not replace the applicable state worksheet or an individual determination.
Federal benchmarks, not automatic state allowances
Minimum MMMNA effective July 1, 2026; maximum and resource standards January 1, 2026. All 20 states in this directory are in the contiguous United States.
CMS standards and effective dates05. Higher income, transfers & recovery
For nursing-facility applicants above the NMP income reference, DHS explains a medically-needy route using a six-month net-income budget and allowable medical expenses, including anticipated facility costs. This is not the same as Florida’s QIT model. It also should not be copied into an HCBS result without confirming that the deduction applies to that program. Ask the county which budget period, deductions and category it used. The final contribution toward care may be different from both the eligibility reference and the amount of income initially reported.
Pennsylvania reviews transfers within 60 months when a person applies for Medical Assistance long-term care. Its description covers both facility care and relevant HCBS, with the triggering dates connected to admission or assessed service eligibility and the application. The office reviews compensation, ownership and any applicable exception; the lookback is not an automatic five-year denial. Save explanations and documents for significant transactions. A current bank balance below a resource reference does not answer whether an earlier gift or ownership change affects payment for the requested long-term services.
Pennsylvania’s estate-recovery program concerns specified long-term-care Medical Assistance, including HCBS and related services, received from age 55. DHS provides claim contacts and hardship-request forms. The treatment of a home depends on ownership and surviving family circumstances; a home excluded during the application is not automatically exempt from every later claim. The estate representative should obtain a statement of the actual claim and explain any protected survivor or hardship circumstances. This process should be distinguished from a facility asking a family member to personally guarantee bills during life.
Review transfer history before making financial changes. The look-back interval, a potential penalty period, treatment of the home and estate recovery are different issues. Exemptions, protected relatives and hardship procedures can matter. Ask the agency which rule applies to the service and application date; seek qualified advice before signing an agreement or moving property.
06. Document checklist
Use COMPASS or the county’s long-term-care financial application route. Prepare income verification, ownership records, balances and medical bills that may support the relevant budget. Married applicants should also keep spouse income and shelter information for the separate allowance assessment. Add the functional-assessment or CHC correspondence without assuming it replaces financial evidence. Ask for a written request specifying dates and missing items, keep proof of delivery and check the decision notice for the budget actually used. A generic internet checklist cannot determine the county’s evidence needs.
Not saved unless you choose to remember.
07. Frequently asked questions
Is $8,000 always the Pennsylvania resource limit?
No. DHS ties the $6,000 disregard to the income category; above the NMP reference, it publishes a different $2,400 limit.
Does income over $2,982 automatically rule out nursing care?
No. A medically-needy facility budget may be relevant; the county must evaluate the case.
Can I copy that facility deduction into HCBS?
Do not assume so. Ask which financial pathway and deductions apply to the named waiver service.
Which office assesses spouse resources?
DHS identifies the county assistance office and PA 1572 resource assessment; request the calculation for your case.
Source register
- Pennsylvania DHS: Medical Assistance payment of long-term careConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official source
- Pennsylvania DHS: Estate Recovery ProgramConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official source
- Pennsylvania DHS: Estate Recovery brochureConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official search excerpt used; direct-page verification limited.
- Pennsylvania DHS: Community HealthChoicesConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official source
- Pennsylvania DHS: Federal Poverty Income GuidelinesConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official search excerpt used; direct-page verification limited.