Pennsylvania Medicaid income limit for long-term care (2026)
By Bennett Dixon, founder of MedicaidChecklist · Every figure cited to an official source · Last verified
For 2026, Pennsylvania's published income limit for long-term-care Medicaid — the coverage behind Medical Assistance (Medicaid) Long-Term Care (nursing facility) and Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver (home and community-based services) and LIFE — Living Independence for the Elderly (PACE program) — 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
$2,982/month is the NMP special gross income limit effective 1/1/2026 — 300% of the federal SSI benefit rate ($994 x 3). It applies to both nursing facility Medicaid and the Community HealthChoices HCBS waiver. Applicants over this limit are not automatically excluded: Pennsylvania also has a Medically Needy Only (MNO) pathway (6-month income limit of $2,550 for one person, i.e., $425/month), and applicants with income above the limit but below the cost of care can still qualify for nursing facility payment under MNO spend-down rules. A nursing home resident's income (minus the $60 personal needs allowance and other deductions) goes toward the cost of care.
Income over the limit: the published pathways
An application is not simply over when income is over the figure — Pennsylvania 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.
Medically Needy Only (MNO) Pathway
If your income is over the 300%-of-SSI limit ($2,982/month in 2026), you may still qualify under Pennsylvania's Medically Needy Only category. Under MNO, income is measured against a 6-month limit ($2,550 for one person in 2026), and medical expenses — including nursing facility bills — can be deducted to bring countable income down to the limit, similar to a spend-down. The MNO resource limit is $2,400 for one person. In practice, most nursing home residents whose income exceeds the special income limit but is below the cost of care can qualify this way.
official sourceHow this compares to other states
| 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 |
Full table with context: Medicaid income 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 asset 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