Spousal Allowance Calculator (CSRA and MMMNA)

When one spouse needs Long-Term Care Medicaid and the other stays at home, federal “spousal impoverishment” rules protect part of the couple’s assets and income for the spouse at home (the community spouse). The two key protections are the community spouse resource allowance (CSRA), the share of assets the spouse at home keeps, and the minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance (MMMNA), the minimum income the spouse at home is allowed, with help from the applicant’s income if needed. This calculator gives a rough estimate of both, using the 2026 federal figures. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

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

The calculator

The 2026 figures this calculator uses

Alaska and Hawaii use higher MMMNA amounts. Some states use the maximum MMMNA for everyone. See 2026 figures.

How the CSRA works

On the snapshot date (the first day of the applicant’s first continuous stay in a hospital or nursing home expected to last at least 30 days), the state totals all of the couple’s countable assets, no matter whose name they are in. Then:

• In “half” states, the spouse at home keeps half, but not less than the federal minimum or more than the federal maximum. If total assets are below the minimum, the spouse keeps all of them.
• In “full maximum” states, the spouse at home keeps assets up to the federal maximum.

The applicant must reduce the rest to their own asset limit (often $2,000) before Medicaid pays. After approval, the CSRA must be moved into the spouse at home’s name within the time the state allows. See CSRA and Snapshot date.

Example. Ann and Bob have $180,000 in countable assets. In a “half” state, Ann keeps $90,000. The other $90,000 must come down to Bob’s $2,000 limit. In a “full maximum” state, Ann could keep $162,660, and only $17,340 would need to come down.

How the MMMNA and income allowance work

The spouse at home keeps all of their own income. If that income is below the MMMNA, part of the applicant’s income can be paid to the spouse at home to bring them up to it (the “community spouse monthly income allowance”). The MMMNA starts at the minimum ($2,705 from July 1, 2026) and can go up when the spouse’s shelter costs are high:

1. Add the spouse at home’s monthly rent or mortgage, property taxes, homeowners insurance, condo or co-op fees, and the state’s standard utility allowance.
2. Subtract the excess shelter standard ($811.50 from July 1, 2026).
3. Add any positive result to the minimum MMMNA.
4. The total cannot exceed the maximum ($4,066.50 in 2026), except by fair hearing or court order.

Example. Ann’s own income is $1,200. Her shelter costs plus the utility allowance are $1,300. Excess shelter is $1,300 minus $811.50, or $488.50. Her MMMNA is $2,705 plus $488.50, or $3,193.50. She needs $1,993.50 from Bob’s income. Bob’s income is $2,600; after his $50 personal needs allowance, $2,550 is available, so Ann can receive the full $1,993.50. Bob’s patient liability is then roughly $2,600 minus $50 minus $1,993.50 minus his health insurance premiums.

Raising the allowances

The allowances can be increased in some cases:

• By fair hearing, if the spouse at home can show exceptional circumstances causing significant financial duress, the MMMNA can be raised above the maximum.
• By raising the CSRA, if the spouse at home’s income (including the maximum income allowance) is still below the MMMNA, many states allow a larger CSRA so the extra assets can generate income.
• By court order for support.

See Raising the allowances.

A worksheet you can do by hand

If you prefer paper, these steps follow the same logic as the calculator.

Part 1: assets

1. List every countable asset of both spouses on the snapshot date: checking, savings, CDs, investments, retirement accounts (if your state counts them), cash value life insurance, second properties. Leave out the home, one vehicle, personal belongings and irrevocable funeral plans.
2. Add them up. This is the couple’s total.
3. In a “half” state, divide the total by two. If the result is below $32,532, the CSRA is the lower of the total or $32,532. If it is above $162,660, the CSRA is $162,660.
4. In a “full maximum” state, the CSRA is the lower of the total or $162,660.
5. Subtract the CSRA from the total. The rest, minus the applicant’s own limit, must be spent down or otherwise addressed.

Part 2: income

1. Write down the spouse at home’s gross monthly income.
2. Add up the spouse at home’s shelter costs: rent or mortgage (principal and interest), property taxes, homeowners insurance, condo or co-op fees, and the state’s standard utility allowance.
3. Subtract $811.50. If the result is positive, add it to $2,705. The total, up to $4,066.50, is the MMMNA.
4. Subtract the spouse at home’s own income from the MMMNA. The result, if positive, is the most the applicant’s income can provide.
5. The actual allowance is limited by the applicant’s income after the personal needs allowance.

Common mistakes

• Using the wrong date. The snapshot is taken at the start of the first continuous institutional stay, not the application date. Assets spent before or after that date can change the result.
• Leaving out the spouse at home’s accounts. All countable assets of both spouses are counted at the start, whoever’s name they are in.
• Forgetting the utility allowance. Each state publishes a standard utility allowance that is added to shelter costs. Leaving it out understates the MMMNA.
• Not transferring the CSRA. After approval, the spouse at home’s share must be moved into their name within the time allowed.
• Spending the extra the wrong way. Gifts to children cause penalties. Allowed spend-down can include paying debts, home repairs, a vehicle or prepaid funeral plans. See Allowed spend-down.
• Assuming the minimum is the end of the story. A fair hearing can raise the allowances in the right circumstances.

What the calculator does not do

• It does not tell you which assets are countable; enter only countable assets. See What counts as an asset.
• It does not apply your state’s utility allowance automatically; include it in shelter costs.
• It does not use state-specific MMMNA rules (some states use the maximum for everyone).
• It does not calculate the full patient liability, which also subtracts health insurance premiums and, in some states, allowances for other family members.
• It does not show the effect of planning steps that can protect more, such as compliant annuities or allowed spend-down purchases.

Getting experienced help

The spousal rules are where planning often protects the most for a married couple, and the numbers depend on timing, state rules and how assets are titled. A Certified Medicaid Planner can calculate the allowances under your state’s rules and explain lawful ways to protect more for the spouse at home. As a rough guide, published fees for full planning range from about $2,500 to $15,000 or more, and hourly help from about $150 to $600.

Frequently asked questions

Does the spouse at home’s IRA count? In many states, yes, as part of the couple’s assets on the snapshot date. Some states treat retirement accounts in payout status differently. See Retirement accounts.

Does the home count? The home is generally exempt when the spouse lives there and is not part of the CSRA calculation.

What happens if the spouse at home’s income rises later? The income allowance may be recalculated at renewal.

Do these rules apply to home care? Yes. Federal law requires spousal impoverishment protections for waiver applicants through at least September 30, 2027.

What if both spouses need care? The spousal impoverishment rules are designed for a couple with one spouse at home. When both need long-term care, different rules apply, and each spouse is usually treated as an individual applicant after the first month. See Both spouses need care.

Can we change how assets are titled to protect more? Moving assets between spouses does not change the CSRA, because both spouses’ assets are counted together. Other lawful planning steps may help; ask before acting.

Related guides

• Spousal impoverishment
• MMMNA
• Income for couples
• Tools hub

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