Community Spouse Allowance Calculator
When one spouse needs nursing home Medicaid, federal rules let the spouse at home keep a share of the couple's assets and a minimum monthly income. See how much.
Spousal impoverishment protections cover assets and income separately. For assets, the spouse at home (the "community spouse") keeps the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA): for 2026, the greater of $32,532 or half the couple's countable assets, up to $162,660. For income, the community spouse is guaranteed the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA), $2,705 to $4,066.50 a month in 2026 depending on housing costs. If their own income is below that, the shortfall comes from the applicant spouse's income. The community spouse does not have to be low-income or have few assets.
Many people assume a spouse must spend down to nothing before the other can qualify for nursing home coverage. Federal law prevents that. Use the two calculators below, one for the asset allowance (CSRA) and one for the income allowance (MMMNA). They work independently, so use either or both.
Part 1: Protect Your Assets (CSRA)
Your Spouse Can Protect
Part 2: Protect Your Income (MMMNA)
Guaranteed Minimum Monthly Income
Base Minimum
+ Excess Shelter
Income Redirected
A minority of states, including Alaska, Florida, Maine, and Mississippi, and California's long-term care Medi-Cal program, let the community spouse keep the full ceiling amount instead of the standard 50% split used above. In those states, the protected amount may be higher than this calculator shows. Confirm with a caseworker or elder law attorney.
Why these rules exist. Medicaid's asset and income limits were written for one person. Applied to a married couple, they would force the couple to spend nearly everything, including what the spouse at home needs to live on. Congress added the two protections in 1988.
CSRA: assets. The community spouse keeps half of the couple's countable assets, with a floor of $32,532 and a ceiling of $162,660 in 2026.
| Couple's countable assets | Half | Community spouse keeps |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $25,000 | $32,532 (the floor) |
| $200,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| $400,000 | $200,000 | $162,660 (the ceiling) |
The applicant spouse keeps a separate $2,000, and the home is generally not counted while the community spouse lives in it. Most states use this half-of-assets formula. A few let the community spouse keep up to the full ceiling without the 50% step, so ask which method your state uses.
The count is taken at the start of the nursing home stay. The couple's assets are totaled as of the first day of the first continuous stay of 30 days or more, not the date of the Medicaid application. Ask the state for a resource assessment when the stay begins, so that total is on record. Our article on CSRA, MMMNA and the snapshot date explains why this matters.
MMMNA: income. This is a monthly income floor. If the community spouse's own income is at or above it, nothing changes. If it is below, the difference is taken from the applicant spouse's income before that income goes toward the cost of care. The allowance rises above the $2,705 minimum when the community spouse's housing costs are more than 30% of that minimum, up to $4,066.50. For example, a spouse with $1,800 of income and housing costs below the standard receives $905 a month from the applicant's income.
If the maximum is still not enough, for example because of a large mortgage or high medical costs, the community spouse can ask for a fair hearing to seek a higher amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)?
It is the share of a married couple's countable assets that the spouse at home (the community spouse) may keep when the other spouse applies for nursing home Medicaid. For 2026 it is the greater of $32,532 or half the couple's countable assets, up to $162,660. It is in addition to the applicant's own $2,000 asset limit.
What is the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA)?
It is the minimum monthly income Medicaid guarantees the community spouse. If that spouse's own income is below it, the difference is taken from the applicant spouse's income, which would otherwise go toward the cost of care. For 2026 it ranges from $2,705 to $4,066.50, depending on the community spouse's housing costs.
Does every state calculate CSRA the same way?
No. Most states use the standard 50% formula that this calculator uses. A smaller group, including Alaska, Florida, Maine and Mississippi, and California's long-term care Medi-Cal program, let the community spouse keep up to the full ceiling without the 50% split. Confirm your state's method with a caseworker or elder law attorney.
Does the home count toward the CSRA asset limit?
No. The primary home is generally excluded from countable assets while the community spouse lives there, in addition to the CSRA. This calculator covers countable assets such as bank accounts, investments and other property.
Can these allowances be increased above the standard amounts?
In some cases. A community spouse can ask for a fair hearing to seek a higher income allowance if the standard MMMNA is not enough to live on, and some states allow a court order to set a higher amount. These are decided case by case, and this calculator does not estimate them.
This calculator uses the federal 2026 CSRA figures ($32,532 to $162,660, in effect for all of 2026) and MMMNA figures ($2,705 to $4,066.50; the minimum applies from July 2026 through June 2027). It applies the standard 50% CSRA formula used by most states. Some states use a different method (see the note above). It does not model Qualified Income Trusts, court-ordered increases or other state variations. This is a general estimate, not a Medicaid determination. Confirm your figures with your state Medicaid agency or an elder law attorney before applying.