Free Medicaid Tools, Calculators and Checklists

These tools help families get a first, rough picture of how Long-Term Care Medicaid rules might apply to their situation. They are built in-house, they are anonymous, and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere: the calculators run in your browser. Each tool explains the rule behind the numbers, so you can understand the result rather than just read it. They are general education only. A real decision depends on your state’s rules and every fact of your situation.

Figures change periodically. Double-check current amounts before relying on them.

Eligibility

• Medicaid eligibility self-check: a short, anonymous set of questions that shows which rules are likely to matter for you.
• Eligibility requirements finder: the 2026 asset and income rules in every state, with what changes for married couples and for home care.

Calculators

• Spend-down estimator: how much may need to be spent down, and how long private payment would last.
• Look-back penalty calculator: how long a transfer penalty might be, using each state’s divisor.
• Spousal allowance calculator: a rough estimate of the assets and income the spouse at home may keep.
• VA pension eligibility self-check: a screen for the VA pension with Aid and Attendance.

Checkers and printables

• “Can Medicaid take my home?” checker: how the home exemption, the equity limit and estate recovery may apply.
• Printable intent-to-return-home statement: a plain-language statement a nursing home resident can sign.
• Printable application documents checklist: a tick-box list of records to gather.

How to use these tools well

• Use real numbers from recent statements, not guesses.
• Run more than one tool. For example, a married couple might use the spend-down estimator, the spousal allowance calculator and the home checker together.
• Read the explanation under each result. It describes the rule and the common exceptions.
• Treat results as a starting point. States differ, and small facts can change the answer.

The tools do not replace advice. For a situation with a spouse at home, gifts, a home, a trust or income over the cap, a Certified Medicaid Planner can review the full picture.

Last updated for 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice. Medicaid Answers is a free educational resource published by Medicaid Answers Foundation.