A private document-preparation service — not a government agency, not a law firm, and not legal advice.
MedicaidChecklist

Ohio Medicaid income limit for long-term care (2026)

Bennett Dixon, founder of MedicaidChecklist

By Bennett Dixon, founder of MedicaidChecklist · Every figure cited to an official source · Last verified

For 2026, Ohio's published income limit for long-term-care Medicaid — the coverage behind Ohio Medicaid Nursing Facility (Long-Term Care) coverage and PASSPORT and Assisted Living waivers (home and community-based services) — is $2,982 per month for a single applicant.

2026 income limit (single applicant)

$2,982/mo

Income allowance for a spouse at home

$2,705–$4,066.50/mo

If the at-home spouse's own income is below this allowance, part of the applicant's income can be directed to them.

How the limit works here

2026 figures are published and used here. $2,982/month is Ohio's special income level (SIL), 300% of the 2026 SSI federal benefit rate ($994), per ODM's 2026 COLA procedure letter (MEPL 191) and OAC 5160:1-6-03.1. Ohio is an income-cap state: since August 1, 2016 an applicant with gross income over the SIL qualifies only by depositing the excess income into a Qualified Income Trust (Miller Trust) each month. Ohio's separate aged/blind/disabled spend-down pathway does not apply to nursing home or waiver long-term care coverage.

Income over the limit: the published pathways

An application is not simply over when income is over the figure — Ohio publishes what happens next. Whether and how a pathway applies to a specific family is a question for the agency or an elder-law attorney.

Qualified Income Trust (Miller Trust) required when income is over the limit

Ohio's rules provide a defined pathway for applicants whose gross monthly income is above the $2,982 special income level (2026): income deposited into a Qualified Income Trust (QIT), also called a Miller Trust, is not counted toward the limit. The trust must be irrevocable, hold only the applicant's income, and name the Ohio Department of Medicaid as remainder beneficiary at death; the signed trust document, proof of the trust bank account, and verification of monthly deposits are submitted with the application (OAC 5160:1-6-03.2). ODM publishes a free QIT template, and because a trust is a legal document, families typically have an elder-law attorney prepare or review it.

official source

Patient liability: most income goes to the nursing home

Once approved, a nursing-home resident's income does not stay with them. After deductions for a $75 monthly personal needs allowance (raised from $50 effective October 1, 2025), health insurance premiums, and any spousal or family allowances, the remaining monthly income is paid to the facility as 'patient liability,' and Medicaid pays the balance of the bill. Income placed in a Qualified Income Trust is included in this calculation.

official source

How this compares to other states

StateIncome limit (single applicant, monthly)Year
California$1,836/month2026
Michigan$2,982/month2026
New York$1,836/month2026
Ohio$2,982/month2026
Pennsylvania$2,982/month2026
Texas$2,982/month2026

Full table with context: Medicaid income limits by state.

The figures on this page are Ohio's published 2026 rules, cited to the official source and last verified 2026-07-14. Eligibility decisions are made only by Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) — 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.

Ohio guideOhio asset limitOhio look-back period

Sources

  • 2026 special income level (SIL) for institutionalized/HCBS waiver individuals is $2,982/month (300% of the $994 2026 SSI federal benefit rate); 2026 spousal impoverishment standards: CSRA minimum $32,532, maximum $162,660, MMMNA cap $4,066.50; 2026 home equity limit $752,000 (ODM MEPL 191, 2026 COLA) — dam.assets.ohio.gov
  • A Qualified Income Trust (Miller Trust) is the mechanism for an individual with income above the SIL to become eligible for Medicaid payment of long-term care services; the trust must be irrevocable, funded only with the individual's income, name ODM as remainder beneficiary, and trust documentation must be submitted with the application (OAC 5160:1-6-03.2, effective 8/1/2016) — codes.ohio.gov
  • ODM publishes a free Qualified Income Trust template and Certification of Trust form for applicants over the income limit — medicaid.ohio.gov
  • Patient liability calculation subtracts a personal needs allowance of $75 (plus up to $65 more from earned income), health insurance premiums, and spousal/family maintenance allowances before the remainder of income is paid to the facility (OAC 5160:1-6-07) — codes.ohio.gov
  • The community spouse resource allowance is the greater of one half of the couple's combined countable resources (up to the CMS maximum) or the CMS minimum, determined as of the snapshot date; the institutionalized spouse may keep $2,000 (OAC 5160:1-6-04) — codes.ohio.gov
  • Cross-check: 2026 nursing home Medicaid limits for a single Ohio applicant are $2,982/month income and $2,000 in assets; a Qualified Income Trust is the pathway for applicants over the income limit; the community spouse may keep up to $162,660 — www.medicaidplanningassistance.org