Medicaid income limits for long-term care, state by state (2026)
By Bennett Dixon, founder of MedicaidChecklist · Every figure cited to an official source · Last verified
There is no single national “Medicaid income limit.” Each state publishes its own figure for long-term-care coverage — most use 300% of the federal SSI benefit rate, others run “medically needy” programs with much lower published limits but broader pathways. The number alone can badly mislead: in every state below, being over the limit leads to a published next step, not an automatic no.
Published income limits, side by side
| State | Income limit (single applicant, monthly) | Year |
|---|---|---|
| California | $1,836/month | 2026 |
| Michigan | $2,982/month | 2026 |
| New York | $1,836/month | 2026 |
| Ohio | $2,982/month | 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | $2,982/month | 2026 |
| Texas | $2,982/month | 2026 |
This table covers the 6 states we currently research in depth — California, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. Every figure is hand-verified against the official state source (linked on each state's page) rather than syndicated, which is why we publish fewer states than aggregator sites do. Rules in other states follow the same federal framework but with different published figures.
Why the limits differ so much
The states at $2,982/month use an income cap tied to the federal SSI rate. The states with lower figures pair them with medically-needy programs, where medical bills themselves offset income above the limit — so a lower published limit does not mean coverage is harder to reach. Each state's page explains its own published pathway, with citations: California, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas.
A note on limits of this page: whether and how any rule applies to a specific family is a question only the state agency — or an elder-law attorney — can answer. MedicaidChecklist publishes the rules and helps you prepare and organize the application; it does not give legal advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to move, transfer, or restructure money or property.