Pennsylvania Medicaid asset limit for long-term care (2026)
By Bennett Dixon, founder of MedicaidChecklist · Every figure cited to an official source · Last verified
Pennsylvania's published 2026 asset limit for a single long-term-care Medicaid applicant is $8,000. The limit applies to countable assets, and what counts is as important as the number.
2026 asset limit (single applicant)
$8,000
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
Two-tier limit: $8,000 in countable resources ($2,000 base + $6,000 disregard) if gross monthly income is at or below $2,982; $2,400 if gross monthly income is above $2,982. The Medically Needy Only (MNO) category uses a $2,400 resource limit for one person.
Pennsylvania rules that change the asset picture
Two-Tier Resource Limit Based on Income
Pennsylvania's asset limit for long-term care depends on your gross monthly income. If your income is at or below $2,982/month (2026), you may keep up to $8,000 in countable resources — a $2,000 base plus a special $6,000 disregard. If your income is above $2,982/month, the limit drops to $2,400. Your home (up to $752,000 in equity in 2026), one vehicle, personal belongings, and certain burial funds are not counted.
official sourceEstate Recovery After Death
If you are 55 or older and Medicaid pays for your nursing facility care, home and community-based waiver services, or related hospital and prescription services, Pennsylvania is required to recover those costs from your probate estate after you die. This most often affects a home that passes through the estate. The DHS Medical Assistance Estate Recovery Program can be reached at 1-800-528-3708, and hardship waivers exist in limited situations.
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 Pennsylvania's published 2026 rules, cited to the official source and last verified 2026-07-14. Eligibility decisions are made only by Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS); applications processed by County Assistance Offices (CAO) — 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.
Pennsylvania guidePennsylvania income limitPennsylvania look-back period
Sources
- 2026 NMP special gross income limit $2,982/month (300% of federal benefit rate, effective 1/1/2026); MNO 6-month income limit $2,550 (1 person); personal needs allowance $60/month (effective 1/1/2025); MinMMNA $2,705 (eff. 7/1/2026) and MaxMMNA $4,066.50 (eff. 1/1/2026); minimum protected share (CSRA) $32,532 and maximum $162,660 (eff. 1/1/2026); penalty divisor $421.20/day and $12,811.50/month (eff. 1/1/2026); excess home equity limit $752,000 (eff. 1/1/2026) — DHS Long-Term Care Handbook, Chapter 468 Appendix A — services.dpw.state.pa.us
- Resource limits: $2,000 plus $6,000 disregard (total $8,000) if income at or below 300% FBR (currently $2,982); $2,400 if income above 300% FBR — PA DHS 'MA and payment of Long-Term Care' page — www.pa.gov
- $6,000 resource disregard applies to NMP LTC applicants whose eligibility uses the 300% FBR special income limit; such an individual can have $8,000 in resources — DHS Long-Term Care Handbook § 440.1 — services.dpw.state.pa.us
- PA 600L is the official Medical Assistance financial eligibility application for long-term care, supports and services; 60-month transfer/trust lookback disclosure required; CAO notifies applicants within 30 days; estate recovery applies to recipients 55+ for nursing facility and HCBS waiver services — www.pa.gov
- 2026 income limit $2,982/month and two-tier $8,000/$2,400 resource limits for PA Medicaid LTC (corroboration); 2026 penalty divisor $421.20/day applies to applications filed in 2026 — www.paelderlaw.net