Each fall, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) renews the federal guidelines that seek to protect individuals whose spouses are applying for or receiving Medicaid long-term care benefits.
These protections, known as the Spousal Impoverishment Standards, help to support the financial well-being of seniors who continue residing at home while their spouse on Medicaid lives in a long-term care facility, such as a nursing home.
Qualifying for Medicaid Long-Term Care Benefits
Long-term care is prohibitively expensive for many, so a large share of adults aged 65 and older rely on Medicaid to help cover the costs.
To qualify for Medicaid long-term care benefits, however, one must generally have very limited resources. The applicant’s income typically goes to the nursing home as well, with some exceptions.
So, what happens if a person who qualifies for Medicaid long-term care is married? How can their healthy spouse afford to remain on their own at home? This is where the Spousal Impoverishment guidelines help.
2024 Spousal Impoverishment Figures in Illinois
The figures, outlined below, are effective, in Illinois, as of January 1, 2024.
Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)
In 2024, in Illinois, a spouse who continues living at home while their partner applies for and begins receiving long-term care coverage through Medicaid can keep up to $129,084, in resources.
The healthy spouse, or so-called “community spouse” then has a minimum amount of resources to live on without rendering their Medicaid spouse ineligible for benefits. This special protection is known as the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA).
Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMNA)
In addition to CSRA, the federal government offers another level of protection for the community spouse: the Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMNA).
The MMNA ensures that the healthy spouse who continues to live in the couple’s home maintains a certain amount of monthly income while their partner receives their Medicaid long-term care coverage.
In 2024, the maximum MMNA will be $3,853.50 (up from $3,715.50 in 2023). Again, this is the most in monthly income that the community spouse can keep while their spouse lives in a long-term care institution. If the healthy spouse does not make enough income to live on, this allowance comes from the income of the spouse on Medicaid.
Work With Your Elder Law Attorney
Planning for Medicaid and navigating the Medicaid application process can be daunting. For expert assistance, consult your attorney today.