Common Medicaid Acronyms
Medicaid notices, forms and conversations with caseworkers are full of abbreviations. This list explains the ones families see most often in Long-Term Care Medicaid, VA benefits and Medicare. Each entry gives the full name and a plain-language explanation, with a link to a fuller guide where one exists. For definitions of terms that are not abbreviations, see the Glossary.
Figures change periodically. Double-check current amounts before relying on them.
Medicaid programs and agencies
| Acronym | Stands for | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| AAA | Area Agency on Aging | Regional agency serving older adults; often helps with waiver assessments |
| ADRC | Aging and Disability Resource Center | One-stop information point for long-term care; in some states, the front door for waivers |
| APS | Adult Protective Services | Public agency that investigates abuse, neglect and financial exploitation |
| CMS | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | The federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid |
| HCBS | Home and community-based services | Long-term care at home or in the community. See HCBS waivers |
| LTC | Long-term care | Ongoing help with daily activities or supervision |
| LTSS | Long-term services and supports | Another term for long-term care, used in many state programs |
| MLTSS | Managed long-term services and supports | Long-term care delivered through a managed care plan. See Managed LTSS |
| MFP | Money Follows the Person | Program that helps people move out of institutions. See MFP |
| PACE | Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly | All-in-one care program. See PACE |
| SHIP | State Health Insurance Assistance Program | Free Medicare counseling program in each state |
| SPA | State plan amendment | A change to a state’s basic Medicaid program |
Eligibility and finances
| Acronym | Stands for | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| ABD | Aged, blind and disabled | The Medicaid groups most long-term care applicants fall into |
| AVS | Asset Verification System | Electronic system to find financial accounts. See Verification |
| CSRA | Community spouse resource allowance | Assets the spouse at home can keep. See CSRA |
| FBR | Federal benefit rate | The maximum federal SSI payment; $994 a month for an individual in 2026 |
| FMV | Fair market value | What an asset would sell for on the open market |
| FPL | Federal poverty level | Annual income figures used by many programs. See Federal poverty guidelines |
| MAGI | Modified adjusted gross income | The income rule used for most non-long-term-care Medicaid; generally not used for older and disabled applicants |
| MMMNA | Minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance | Minimum income for the spouse at home. See MMMNA |
| PNA | Personal needs allowance | Amount a nursing home resident keeps each month. See PNA |
| QIT | Qualified income trust | Another name for a Miller trust. See Miller trusts |
| SSI | Supplemental Security Income | Federal needs-based cash benefit. See SSI and Medicaid |
| SSDI | Social Security Disability Insurance | Social Security benefit for people with disabilities who have work history |
| SOC | Share of cost | Another name for the patient liability or spend-down amount, depending on the state |
Care and assessments
| Acronym | Stands for | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| ADL | Activity of daily living | Bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, continence. See ADLs |
| IADL | Instrumental activity of daily living | Tasks such as cooking, shopping, managing money and medications |
| LOC | Level of care | The degree of care needed. See Level of care |
| NFLOC | Nursing facility level of care | The level of need usually required for Long-Term Care Medicaid |
| NF | Nursing facility | A nursing home |
| SNF | Skilled nursing facility | A nursing home certified to provide skilled care, often after a hospital stay |
| ALF | Assisted living facility | Residential care with help with daily activities |
| PASRR | Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review | Federal screening before nursing home admission |
| PCA | Personal care aide (or assistant) | A worker who helps with daily activities |
| CDPAS / CDC | Consumer-directed personal assistance / consumer-directed care | Programs that let people hire their own caregivers. See Consumer-directed care |
| SFC | Structured family caregiving | A program that pays family caregivers in some states. See Structured family caregiving |
Planning and legal
| Acronym | Stands for | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| CMP | Certified Medicaid Planner | A professional credential in Long-Term Care Medicaid planning |
| MAPT | Medicaid asset protection trust | An irrevocable trust used to protect assets after the look-back. See Asset protection trusts |
| SNT | Special needs trust | A trust for a person with a disability. See Special needs trusts |
| POA | Power of attorney | A document naming an agent. See Powers of attorney |
| DPOA | Durable power of attorney | A POA that stays valid if the person loses capacity |
| ILIT | Irrevocable life insurance trust | A trust that owns life insurance |
| MERP | Medicaid estate recovery program | The state’s estate recovery program. See Estate recovery |
| DRA | Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 | Federal law that set many current transfer, annuity and home equity rules |
| TEFRA lien | Lien allowed under the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 | A lien some states place on a home of a nursing home resident who is not expected to return |
Medicare
| Acronym | Stands for | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| MA | Medicare Advantage | Private plans that provide Medicare benefits |
| D-SNP | Dual eligible special needs plan | Medicare Advantage plans for people with Medicare and Medicaid |
| FIDE-SNP | Fully integrated dual eligible special needs plan | A D-SNP that also provides Long-Term Care Medicaid |
| MSP | Medicare Savings Program | Medicaid programs that help pay Medicare premiums and cost-sharing |
| QMB | Qualified Medicare Beneficiary | The MSP that pays Medicare premiums and cost-sharing |
| SLMB | Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary | The MSP that pays the Part B premium |
| QI | Qualifying Individual | Another MSP that pays the Part B premium |
| LIS | Low-Income Subsidy (Extra Help) | Help paying Part D prescription costs |
Veterans
| Acronym | Stands for | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| VA | Department of Veterans Affairs | Federal agency for veterans’ benefits |
| A&A | Aid and Attendance | Increased VA pension for those needing help with daily activities. See VA pensions |
| MAPR | Maximum Annual Pension Rate | The most the VA pension can pay for a person’s situation |
| UME | Unreimbursed (unusual) medical expenses | Medical costs that reduce countable income for the VA pension |
| DIC | Dependency and Indemnity Compensation | VA benefit for survivors of veterans who died from service-related causes |
| CLC | Community Living Center | A VA-run nursing home. See VA nursing homes |
| SVH | State Veterans Home | A state-run veterans nursing home |
| PCAFC | Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers | VA caregiver program with a stipend. See VA paid caregivers |
| VDC | Veteran Directed Care | VA program letting veterans hire their own caregivers |
| VSO | Veterans service officer (or organization) | Accredited helpers for VA claims |
| DD-214 | Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty | The standard proof of military service |
Notices, staff and other common terms
| Acronym | Stands for | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| NOA | Notice of action | A written notice of a decision, such as approval, denial or a change in services |
| RFI | Request for information | A caseworker’s written request for documents or explanations |
| DHS / DSS / HHS | Department of Human Services / Social Services / Health and Human Services | Common names for state or county agencies that handle Medicaid applications |
| SSA | Social Security Administration | The federal agency that pays Social Security and SSI |
| OAA | Older Americans Act | Federal law funding aging services such as meals, caregiver support and senior legal services |
| MDS | Minimum Data Set | The standard assessment nursing homes complete for each resident |
| CNA | Certified nursing assistant | A trained aide who provides hands-on care in nursing homes and at home |
| HHA | Home health aide | An aide who provides personal care at home, often through an agency |
| RN / LPN | Registered nurse / licensed practical nurse | Licensed nurses; skilled care requires their involvement |
| ICF/IID | Intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities | A Medicaid facility type for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities |
| ALJ | Administrative law judge | The official who often conducts a fair hearing |
| AR | Authorized representative | A person named to act for the applicant in the Medicaid process |
How to use acronyms when reading a notice
Medicaid notices often pack several abbreviations into a single sentence, such as “Your SOC has been recalculated based on your PNA and the CSMIA.” When you see a notice like that:
- Look up each abbreviation. Most are on this page. Some states use their own terms; for example, the community spouse’s income allowance may appear as “CSMIA” or “spousal allocation.”
- Find the numbers. Notices that change the patient liability should show the income counted, each deduction and the result.
- Check the math. Add the income and subtract each deduction. If the result is different from the notice, ask the caseworker in writing how the figure was calculated.
- Find the deadline. Every notice of a decision should explain the right to a fair hearing and the deadline to request one.
- Ask if you are unsure. It is reasonable to ask the caseworker to explain a term or a figure, and to ask for the explanation in writing.
A note on state-specific names
Many states give programs their own names and abbreviations, and the same program can go by different names in different places. For example, the patient liability is called “share of cost” in some states, “resident liability” or “patient pay” in others, and the Miller trust is called a “qualified income trust” or “income trust” in many state manuals. Waiver programs often have state-specific names or acronyms. Each state guide uses the names the state uses.
Getting experienced help
If a notice uses a term you do not understand, ask the caseworker what it means and which rule it refers to. When the terms point to a decision about assets, income or a spouse at home, a Certified Medicaid Planner can explain how the rule applies to your situation.
Related guides
Last updated for 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice. Medicaid Answers is a free educational resource published by Medicaid Answers Foundation.