Michigan Medicaid asset limit for long-term care (2026)
By Bennett Dixon, founder of MedicaidChecklist · Every figure cited to an official source · Last verified
Michigan's published 2026 asset limit for a single long-term-care Medicaid applicant is $9,950. The limit applies to countable assets, and what counts is as important as the number.
2026 asset limit (single applicant)
$9,950
Home equity cap
$752,000
The home is typically exempt below this equity figure — and exempt regardless while a spouse lives in it.
Protected for a spouse at home (CSRA)
$32,532–$162,660
Married couples: the community-spouse resource allowance protects a share of the couple's assets for the spouse who stays home.
How the limit works here
$9,950 for an individual effective January 1, 2026 (couple both in care: $14,910), per Bridges Eligibility Manual (BEM) 400. Michigan raised this limit from $2,000 in February 2025 by tying it to the Medicare Savings Program asset limit, which is indexed annually. Exempt assets include the homestead (below the equity cap), one vehicle, and household goods.
Michigan rules that change the asset picture
Protections for the spouse at home (CSRA and MMMNA)
If you are married and enter a nursing home, your at-home spouse may keep a protected share of the couple's assets: half of the countable assets as of the 'snapshot' date, between $32,532 and $162,660 in 2026. Your spouse can also keep part of your income if their own income is below the maintenance allowance, between $2,705 (floor effective July 1, 2026, per BEM 546) and $4,066.50 per month. The home is exempt while the spouse lives in it.
official sourceHome equity cap for long-term care
Your home is normally an exempt asset, but Medicaid will not pay for nursing home or in-home long-term care if your equity in the home exceeds $752,000 (effective January 1, 2026). This cap does not apply if your spouse, a child under 21, or your blind or disabled child lives in the home.
official sourceHow this compares to other states
Asset limits vary between states far more than income limits do — this is the figure to check for your own state, not a national article.
| State | Asset limit (single applicant) | Year |
|---|---|---|
| California | $130,000 | 2026 |
| Michigan | $9,950 | 2026 |
| New York | $33,038 | 2026 |
| Ohio | $2,000 | 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | $8,000 | 2026 |
| Texas | $2,000 | 2026 |
Full table with context: Medicaid asset limits by state.
The figures on this page are Michigan's published 2026 rules, cited to the official source and last verified 2026-07-14. Eligibility decisions are made only by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) — no checklist, calculator, or company can decide for it. Applying is always free through the state agency.
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.
Michigan guideMichigan income limitMichigan look-back period
Sources
- SSI-related Medicaid asset limit is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for two effective January 1, 2026; home equity limit for long-term care is $752,000 effective January 1, 2026 (equity cap waived if spouse, child under 21, or blind/disabled child lives in home) — mdhhs-pres-prod.michigan.gov
- 2026 income cap limit (300% of SSI federal benefit rate) is $2,982/month for an individual; 2026 spousal impoverishment standards: CSRA minimum $32,532, maximum $162,660; MMMNA maximum $4,066.50; federal minimum home equity limit $752,000 — www.medicaid.gov
- Community spouse income allowance: the basic (minimum) monthly allowance is $2,705.00 and the maximum is $4,066.50, per BEM 546 as amended by BPB 2026-018 effective July 1, 2026 — mdhhs-pres-prod.michigan.gov
- Personal needs allowance (patient allowance) for nursing home residents is $60/month, $90/month for veterans; patient-pay amount deductions include community spouse income allowance, family allowance, and health insurance premiums — mdhhs-pres-prod.michigan.gov
- Applicants over the income limit can qualify through Michigan's medically needy spend-down; Michigan does not use Miller Trusts; nursing home asset limit $9,950 (2026) — www.medicaidplanningassistance.org
- DHS-4574 is the Medicaid application for patients of nursing facilities; DHS-4574-B Assets Declaration is used for the initial asset assessment; applications must be approved or denied within 45 days, or 90 days if disability is a factor — mdhhs-pres-prod.michigan.gov