01. Overview & references
Texas uses the Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities framework for many long-term-care financial decisions. Its 2026 budget chart distinguishes institutional and HCBS waiver budgets from specified community SSI-related categories. The institutional reference is $2,982 for one person and $5,964 for an applicable couple budget. HHSC describes the amounts as countable income, so this site does not compare them directly with a gross pension entry. For STAR+PLUS HCBS, ask both the eligibility office and service coordinator which financial category and service-entry route apply.
- State Medicaid program
- Texas Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities
- Income pathway
- Income-cap pathway; QIT may apply
- Nursing-home look-back reference
- 60 months
- Home-equity reference
- $752,000
- Personal-needs allowance reference
- $75
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEPD nursing-facility institutional standardQIT review can matter above the applicable income standard; this does not determine functional eligibility. | Single: $2,982HHSC labels this total countable income under its special institutional standard; not assessed from gross input alone.Married, one applies: $2,982Applicant income under institutional rules; spouse attribution requires HHSC review.Married, both apply: $5,964Published combined institutional couple standard, not 5964 for each applicant. | Single: $2,000Individual countable resources.Married, one applies: $2,000Applicant-only resources following the spousal assessment.Married, both apply: $3,000Combined institutional couple resources. | $162,660Community spouse only; program applicability and allocation must be assessed. |
| STAR+PLUS HCBS: special institutional financial categoryQIT review can matter above the applicable income standard; this does not determine functional eligibility. | Single: $2,982HHSC labels this total countable income under its special institutional standard; not assessed from gross input alone.Married, one applies: $2,982Applicant income under institutional rules; spouse attribution requires HHSC review.Married, both apply: $5,964Published combined institutional couple standard, not 5964 for each applicant. | Single: $2,000Individual countable resources.Married, one applies: $2,000Applicant-only resources following the spousal assessment.Married, both apply: $3,000Combined institutional couple resources. | $162,660Community spouse only; program applicability and allocation must be assessed. |
| Specified community SSI-related MEPD categoriesThese figures describe listed DAC, Pickle and widow/widower categories; not every community benefit or Medicare Savings Program. | Single: $994SSI-reference category requires countable income below 994; special Social Security increase exclusions apply.Married, one applies: Program-specific; see notesSpouse deeming and protected coverage category must be established.Married, both apply: $1,491Countable couple income must be below 1491 in the specified SSI-reference categories. | Single: $2,000Individual resource standard for the listed SSI-related categories.Married, one applies: Program-specific; see notesMarried one-applicant treatment is not inferred from the couple table.Married, both apply: $3,000Combined couple resource standard. | Not inferred for regular coverageCommunity spouse only; program applicability and allocation must be assessed. |
03. Countable & excluded assets
The institutional resource chart lists $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for an applicable couple, while home equity has a separate $752,000 reference. These numbers concern countable resources after the relevant rules, not the resale price of all possessions. Give HHSC clear information about ownership and access to accounts, real estate, insurance and retirement arrangements. A home may be treated differently because of occupants or other exceptions. Avoid treating an excluded resource, a protected spouse allocation and an asset held by someone else as interchangeable concepts.
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
HHSC calculates a spousal protected resource amount using the couple’s countable resources and the applicable minimum and maximum. The 2026 chart lists a maximum of $162,660, but that maximum is not automatically assigned to every community spouse. A separate income allocation can affect the applicant’s care copayment. Request the assessment date, resources included and the final protected amount. A married applicant’s $2,000 resource line is not a rule requiring both spouses together to own no more than $2,000. Both-applicant cases need a different budget.
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
Texas recognizes Qualified Income Trusts for qualifying institutional or HCBS waiver cases above the special income standard. The handbook expressly distinguishes Community Attendant Services: the QIT route is not available there merely because income is too high. A trust must receive the required legal review, and income remains relevant to the care copayment. This is why choosing the exact program matters more than a general label such as home care. Ask for a written eligibility explanation before relying on a trust or an advertised spenddown solution from another state.
The Texas estate-recovery guide also explains the separate 60-month transfer review for nursing-facility and waiver applications. HHSC can examine gifts, ownership changes and compensation received. Exceptions and the individual facts determine whether a penalty applies. Its documentation guide describes different verification requests, including additional historical statements when transfers require investigation; it does not support a claim that every applicant must initially upload exactly 60 months of every account. Keep records available and obtain the actual request from the eligibility worker rather than guessing its scope.
Texas MERP can seek repayment for covered long-term services from certain estates, subject to exclusions and hardship provisions. The state updated its approved plan in July 2026, including recovery criteria and the minimum estate amount, so an older dollar threshold should not be repeated as current. Eligibility treatment of a home and a later estate claim are separate issues. Obtain the actual recovery notice and instructions if one arrives. A family’s responsibility to respond as estate representative is not the same as personal responsibility for all Medicaid payments.
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
Organize income award letters, current account statements, property ownership and any existing trust documents before contacting HHSC. For STAR+PLUS HCBS, add the service coordinator’s correspondence and assessment information. Keep the financial application, service authorization and worker employment paperwork in separate sections; they answer different questions. Ask which deductions were used in the budget and retain the official copayment notice. The nursing-facility personal-needs allowance is $75 in the reviewed chart, but that is a retained-income calculation after eligibility, not a monthly earnings ceiling.
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07. Frequently asked questions
Can a QIT solve excess income in every home-care program?
No. The Texas handbook specifically excludes the income-ineligible Community Attendant Services route from QIT use.
Does the community spouse automatically keep $162,660?
No. It is the published maximum; the resource assessment determines the protected amount.
Are the $75 personal needs an application threshold?
No. They concern income retained by an eligible nursing-facility resident.
Must everyone submit five years of records immediately?
Follow HHSC’s case-specific verification request; the transfer-review period and initial document request are different.
Source register
- Texas HHSC:2026 Budget Reference ChartConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official source
- Texas HHSC: F-6800 Qualified Income TrustConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official search excerpt used; direct-page verification limited.
- Texas HHSC: documentation and verification guideConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official search excerpt used; direct-page verification limited.
- Texas HHSC: Medicaid estate recovery guideConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official search excerpt used; direct-page verification limited.
- Texas approved SPA 26-0003Consulted: 2026-11-16 · Official search excerpt used; direct-page verification limited.
- Texas HHSC: STAR+PLUS HCBS eligibilityConsulted: 2026-11-16 · Official search excerpt used; direct-page verification limited.