My Husband Just Went Into a Nursing Home. How Do I Avoid Going Broke?
If your husband has just moved into a nursing home, you may be feeling many things at once: relief that he is safe, sadness that he is not home, and fear about the bills. Nursing home care can cost more than $10,000 a month. It is natural to wonder whether everything you two saved will be gone, and whether you will be able to stay in your home.
Here is the most important thing to know: you do not have to spend everything you own before Long-Term Care Medicaid can help pay for his care. The law was written with spouses like you in mind. And it is not too late. Legitimate planning strategies are still available after a spouse has already entered a nursing home.
The law protects the spouse at home
Long-Term Care Medicaid has special rules for married couples. They are often called the “spousal impoverishment” protections. The idea is simple: when one spouse needs nursing home care, the other spouse, called the “community spouse,” should not be left with nothing to live on.
These protections cover three main areas: your savings, your income, and your home.
Protecting your savings: the CSRA
When your husband applies for Long-Term Care Medicaid, the couple’s countable savings are added together, no matter whose name they are in. Then a portion is set aside for you. This is called the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, or CSRA.
For 2026, the federal limits are:
- Maximum CSRA: $162,660
- Minimum CSRA: $32,532
Each state sets its own figure within this federal range. Some states let the community spouse keep the full maximum. Others use a formula based on half of the couple’s combined savings, with the minimum as a floor and the maximum as a ceiling.
Some things usually do not count toward these limits at all. These commonly include your home, one car, personal belongings, and certain funds set aside for burial. That means the savings you are allowed to keep are often in addition to these items.
Protecting your income: the MMMNA
Many wives worry most about monthly income. Often the husband’s pension or Social Security is larger, and the wife wonders how she will pay the bills once his income goes to the nursing home.
The law addresses this with the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance, or MMMNA. If your own income falls below this amount, part of your husband’s income can be redirected to you before the rest goes toward his care.
For 2026:
- Maximum MMMNA: $4,066.50 per month
- Minimum MMMNA: $2,705 per month (in all states except Alaska and Hawaii)
The minimum can be raised when your housing costs, such as rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and utilities, are high. In some situations, a higher allowance can be requested through a hearing when there are exceptional circumstances.
Your own income, such as your Social Security or pension in your name, generally stays yours. It is not used to pay for your husband’s nursing home care.
Protecting your home
For most couples, the house is the biggest thing they own and the place that holds the most memories. If you live in it, the home is generally protected while you are living there. Your husband’s eligibility is not denied because the two of you own a home that you live in.
There is a federal home equity limit for a person applying for Long-Term Care Medicaid. For 2026 it ranges from $752,000 to $1,130,000, depending on the state. However, that limit does not apply when a spouse lives in the home.
It also helps to understand estate recovery. After a Medicaid recipient passes away, states may seek repayment from his estate. But recovery generally cannot happen while a surviving spouse is alive. Planning ahead can also help protect the home for the long term.
Planning is still possible after he moves in
Many families believe that once a spouse is in a nursing home, it is too late to do anything. That is not true. Depending on your situation, legitimate strategies that may be available include:
- Spending down wisely. Paying off a mortgage, making home repairs, replacing an old car, or prepaying funeral costs can turn countable savings into protected items, without losing value to your family.
- Transfers between spouses. Transfers between a husband and wife are generally allowed and are not penalized under the look-back rules.
- Converting savings into income. In some cases, savings above the allowance can be converted into a steady income stream for the spouse at home, using tools such as a Medicaid-compliant annuity.
- Raising the allowances. When the standard amounts are not enough to live on, the CSRA or MMMNA can sometimes be increased through the appeal process.
- Retitling assets. Moving the home or other assets into the community spouse’s name can make long-term protection easier.
Not every strategy fits every family. The right approach depends on your savings, your income, your home, and where you live. The key point is that options exist, and they are legal.
Avoid common mistakes
When families are frightened, they sometimes act quickly in ways that cause problems later. Common mistakes include:
- Giving money or property to children or grandchildren. Gifts made within the five-year look-back period can create a penalty period with no coverage.
- Spending down on things that do not help you, when better choices were available.
- Assuming the family is “over the limit” and never applying.
- Missing deadlines or paperwork, which can delay coverage for months.
Why advocacy matters
The Long-Term Care Medicaid application is long and detailed. Caseworkers apply rules exactly as written, and they are not responsible for pointing out every protection you qualify for. Allowances that could have been higher are sometimes left at the minimum simply because no one asked.
Having someone who understands the rules and speaks up for you can make a real difference. That can mean making sure every protected asset is counted correctly, that your housing costs are included, and that you request a hearing when a decision seems wrong. The protections in the law only help when they are actually used.
You are not alone
Watching your husband move into a nursing home is one of the hardest things a wife can face. Worrying about money should not make it harder. The law includes real protections for you: a share of your savings, a monthly income to live on, and your home. And planning strategies are still available even now.
Take a breath. You have more options than you may think.