Educational tool, not legal or eligibility advice. Official state determinations always control. Data last verified 2026-09-28.
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This section explains how long-term care Medicaid and related legal documents work. It does not determine your parent's eligibility, does not give legal or financial advice, and no calculator result here is an eligibility determination. State-specific asset rules must be confirmed by a licensed elder-law attorney or the state Medicaid agency before you rely on anything here.

Pennsylvania Medicaid Long-Term Care — Nursing Home Entry

Medicaid pays for nursing-home care in Pennsylvania when the resident meets the state's income and asset rules. Long-term care here runs through Pennsylvania Medicaid, decided by Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. The official first step is the agency's long-term care intake — the link and phone number below.

The official entry point

State program
Pennsylvania Medicaid
Apply / long-term care intake
Apply online

Income and spousal rules — 2026 federal standards

  • Institutional income-cap reference: $2,982.00/month (300% of the 2026 SSI federal benefit rate of $994.00). Pennsylvania sets its own institutional income rules within the federal framework.
  • Married applicant: the community spouse keeps at least $2,705.00/month of the couple’s income, up to the $4,066.50 maximum, plus a monthly housing allowance of $811.50 (2026 federal standards).

These are the federal standards in the CMS Informational Bulletin of 2026-04-27(updated 2026 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards). Pennsylvania applies them within state rules — confirm with the agency. This page does not determine eligibility.

The regular income limits elsewhere on this site are not the nursing-home income rules: institutional long-term care uses separate standards. See Pennsylvania income limits for the community coverage lines, and the agency for the institutional ones.

What to do this week

  1. Call Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (1-866-550-4355) and ask for the long-term care / nursing-home intake.
  2. If your parent is married, ask about spousal income and asset protections before moving any money or property.
  3. Review the 60-month look-back before any gift or transfer — a transfer penalty can delay Medicaid by one month for each multiple of the state's average private pay rate. Use the look-back calculator.

Common questions

Does Medicaid pay for nursing home care in Pennsylvania?＋

Yes — for residents who meet Pennsylvania's income and asset rules. Long-term care runs through Pennsylvania Medicaid, decided by Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. The official first step is the agency's long-term care intake, linked on this page.

What is the income limit for nursing home Medicaid in Pennsylvania?＋

Pennsylvania sets its own institutional income rules within the federal framework. The federal reference for 2026 is the 300% SSI income cap of $2,982.00/month, and a married applicant's community spouse keeps at least $2,705.00/month (up to $4,066.50). The agency confirms the exact numbers for Pennsylvania.

Next steps

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Reviewed by Gavin YE, Technical Director, ClearRules Labs.

Page last reviewed 2026-09-28

Long-term care entry last reviewed 2026-09-28.

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