Calculator

Medicaid spend-down estimator

Medicaid pays for long-term care once your countable assets fall under your state's limit. This shows roughly how far above that line you are. It's a starting point for a conversation with an elder-law attorney, not a plan. Nothing is saved or sent.

Savings, investments, second properties. Usually excludes your home (up to an equity limit), one car, and personal belongings.

$48,000 over the limit
Your state's asset limit is $2,000 for a single applicant.
Spending down doesn't mean giving assets away — the five-year look-back penalizes gifts. An elder-law attorney can explain the legal ways to spend down (care, home repairs, certain trusts).
Important for solo agers

Start early, and get advice

With no spouse to protect assets for, Medicaid planning for a single person is its own thing — and the five-year look-back means it has to start well before you need care. See your state's page for the exact limits and paying for long-term care alone, then talk to an elder-law attorney via the resources directory.

How this works + verify. It compares your countable assets to your state's 2026 Medicaid long-term-care asset limit ($2,000 in most states; California and New York are higher). Countable-asset rules, exemptions, and the home-equity limit are nuanced and change — this is a rough educational estimate, not legal or financial advice. Confirm everything with your state Medicaid agency and a licensed elder-law attorney. Nothing you enter is stored.