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MedicaidChecklist

Medicaid long-term care in Pennsylvania: 2026 limits, forms, and how to apply

Bennett Dixon, founder of MedicaidChecklist

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

Long-term-care Medicaid in Pennsylvania — the coverage that pays for nursing-home care and, through waiver programs, care at home — runs through 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). It is administered by Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS); applications processed by County Assistance Offices (CAO). This page collects the published 2026 rules in one place, each figure linked to its official source.

Pennsylvania's published 2026 figures

Income limit (single applicant)

$2,982/mo

Being over this figure is not the end of the story — see the income-limit page for Pennsylvania's published pathway.

Asset limit (single applicant)

$8,000

Countable assets only; the home (below the equity cap), one vehicle, and household goods are typically exempt.

Look-back period

60 months

Home equity cap

$752,000

Protected for a spouse at home (CSRA)

$32,532–$162,660

The community-spouse resource allowance — assets protected for a husband or wife who stays home.

Spouse-at-home income allowance

$2,705–$4,066.50/mo

Deeper dives: the Pennsylvania income limit, the asset limit and what's exempt, and the 60-month look-back.

How to apply in Pennsylvania

Applying is free, directly through the state. You file the application — Pennsylvania accepts it through these channels:

Processing time: The County Assistance Office will send its decision within 30 days of receiving a complete application — approved, denied, or a request for more information (per PA 600L instructions). Incomplete lookback documentation commonly extends this.

The official forms

Medical Assistance (Medicaid) Financial Eligibility Application for Long-Term Care, Supports and Services(PA 600L)

Pennsylvania's financial-eligibility application for long-term care, supports and services — the single form for this program.

The main (and only) application form for long-term-care Medicaid.

official form

These are Pennsylvania's own forms, linked at the source — never substitutes.

Documents caseworkers commonly request

  • Proof of identity and Social Security number
  • Proof of citizenship or immigration status
  • Proof of Pennsylvania residence
  • Proof of all gross income (Social Security award letter, pensions, annuities)
  • Bank and financial account statements covering the 60-month lookback
  • Records of any assets closed, sold, given away, or transferred in the past 60 months
  • Trust documents, if any assets were placed in trust in the past 60 months
  • Life insurance policies and burial reserves/agreements
  • Deeds and records for real estate, including the home
  • Medicare and other health insurance cards / premium information
  • Spouse's income and resource documentation (if married)
  • Vehicle titles

Gathering these is most of the real work — see the full document guide for why each category matters.

Rules specific to Pennsylvania

60-Month Lookback and Transfer Penalty

Pennsylvania reviews all asset transfers made in the 60 months before you apply for Medicaid long-term care (nursing facility or HCBS waiver). Assets given away or sold for less than fair market value create a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay for care. The penalty is calculated by dividing the transferred amount by the statewide average private-pay rate — for applications filed in 2026, $421.20 per day (about $12,811.50 per month). The penalty period does not begin until the person is in care and otherwise eligible, so families typically must pay privately during the penalty.

official source

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 source

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 source

Estate 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 source

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 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
  • PA 600L is listed as 'Medical Assistance (Medicaid) Financial Eligibility Application for Long Term Care, Supports and Services' in the PA 600 series — DHS MA Eligibility Handbook Ch. 304 Appendix E — services.dpw.state.pa.us
  • Applications may be filed online via COMPASS, by paper to the County Assistance Office, or by phone at 1-866-550-4355 — PA DHS Apply for Benefits page — www.pa.gov
  • The CHC waiver financial application may be completed on the PA 600L or online through COMPASS — Pennsylvania Health Law Project CHC waiver eligibility guide (Feb 2026) — www.phlp.org
  • 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