Community Spouse Allowance Calculator
When one spouse needs nursing home Medicaid, federal rules protect the spouse staying home from being left with nothing. See exactly how much they can keep, in both assets and income.
These are called spousal impoverishment protections, and they cover two separate things: assets and income. For assets, the at-home spouse (the "community spouse") can keep the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) — for 2026, the greater of $32,532 or half the couple's countable assets, up to $162,660. For income, if the community spouse's own income falls short of the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) — $2,705 to $4,066.50 for 2026, depending on housing costs — income can be redirected from the applicant spouse to close the gap. Neither protection requires the community spouse to also be low-income or low-asset.
Most people first encounter Medicaid's asset and income limits and assume a spouse has to become destitute for the other to qualify for nursing home coverage. That's not how it works — federal law specifically prevents it. Use the two calculators below: one for the asset protection (CSRA), one for the income protection (MMMNA). They're independent of each other, so use whichever applies to your situation, or both.
Part 1: Protect Your Assets (CSRA)
Your Spouse Can Protect
Part 2: Protect Your Income (MMMNA)
Guaranteed Minimum Monthly Income
Base Minimum
+ Excess Shelter
Income Redirected
A minority of states, including Alaska, Florida, Maine, and Mississippi, and California's long-term care Medi-Cal program, let the community spouse keep the full ceiling amount instead of the standard 50% split used above. If you're in one of those states, your actual protected amount may be higher than this calculator shows — confirm with a caseworker or elder law attorney.
Spousal impoverishment protections exist because Medicaid's individual asset and income limits were never designed for married couples where only one spouse needs nursing home care. Without them, a couple could be forced to spend down almost everything, including what the healthy spouse needs to keep living independently, before the other qualifies. Congress addressed this directly in 1988, and the two protections work independently: the CSRA protects assets at the point of application, while the MMMNA protects ongoing monthly income after the applicant is approved and in care.
The CSRA formula is simple in concept: the community spouse keeps half of what the couple owns together, with a floor so low-asset couples aren't shortchanged and a ceiling so the protection doesn't become unlimited. Most states use exactly this 50% formula. A smaller group of states skip the 50% calculation entirely and let the community spouse keep the full ceiling amount regardless of the couple's total — worth confirming for your specific state, since it can mean a meaningfully higher protected amount.
The MMMNA works differently — it's not a lump sum, it's a monthly income floor. If the community spouse's own income already meets or exceeds it, nothing changes. If it falls short, the difference is redirected from the applicant spouse's income before that income is counted toward the cost of their care. Housing costs factor in because the allowance rises above its base minimum if the community spouse's shelter costs exceed a standard threshold — 30% of the base minimum — up to the overall maximum. In rare cases where the standard MMMNA genuinely isn't enough (a mortgage well above the shelter threshold, unusual medical costs), the community spouse can request a fair hearing to seek a higher amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)?
The amount of a married couple's combined countable assets that the spouse remaining at home (the community spouse) is legally allowed to keep when the other spouse applies for nursing home Medicaid. For 2026, it's the greater of $32,532 or half the couple's countable assets, up to a ceiling of $162,660. It's separate from and in addition to the applicant's own $2,000 individual asset limit.
What is the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA)?
The minimum monthly income Medicaid guarantees the community spouse can keep. If their own income falls short of this amount, income is redirected from the applicant spouse's side to make up the difference — even though that income would otherwise count toward the applicant's Medicaid eligibility. For 2026, it ranges from $2,705 up to a cap of $4,066.50, depending on the community spouse's housing costs.
Does every state calculate CSRA the same way?
No. Most states use the standard 50% formula this calculator uses. A smaller group of states, including Alaska, Florida, Maine, and Mississippi, and California's long-term care Medi-Cal program, let the community spouse keep up to the full ceiling amount regardless of the 50% split. Confirm which method your state uses with a caseworker or elder law attorney before relying on an exact figure.
Does the home count toward the CSRA asset limit?
No. The primary home is generally excluded from countable assets entirely while the community spouse continues living there, separate from and in addition to the CSRA. This calculator only covers countable assets like bank accounts, investments, and additional property.
Can these allowances be increased above the standard amounts?
Yes, in specific circumstances. A community spouse can request a fair hearing to seek a higher income allowance if the standard MMMNA genuinely isn't enough to live on, and some states allow a court order to set a higher amount. These are exceptions handled case by case, not something a general calculator can estimate.
This calculator uses the federal 2026 CSRA figures ($32,532-$162,660, effective all of 2026) and MMMNA figures ($2,705-$4,066.50, the minimum effective July 2026-June 2027 per the annual federal poverty level update). It applies the standard 50%-split CSRA formula used by most states — some states use a different method (see note above). It does not model Qualified Income Trusts, court-ordered increases, or state-specific variations beyond the standard formula. This is a general estimate, not a Medicaid determination — confirm your exact figures with your state Medicaid agency or an elder law attorney before applying.