Pennsylvania residents with a medical need for long-term care services may apply for Medical Assistance online using COMPASS. This is a brief overview of the eligibility requirements:

General Eligibility

To be eligible, a person must:

• Be a Pennsylvania resident
• Be a U.S. citizen or a qualified non-citizen
• Have a Social Security number
• Have a medical need for long-term care services

Financial Eligibility

There are limits for both income and resources.

Income Limits: Most types of income are counted, including pensions, Social Security, and withdrawals from an IRA. The general income limit for Non Money Payment (NMP) Medicaid is 300 percent of the federal benefit rate (FBR), which changes from year to year.

In 2021, the FBR is $794 per month, so 300 percent of the FBR is $2,382 per month. Under Medically Needy Only (MNO) Medicaid, certain medical expenses can be deducted to reach a limit for net income.

Resource Limits: Resources that are counted include: cash, bank accounts, stocks and bonds, IRA accounts, and non-resident real estate. Resources that are not counted include the home the person lives in, if the value is $525,000 or less; one motor vehicle; and burial plots and reserves, subject to certain limits.

For an individual with an income of 300 percent or less of the FBR, the resource limit is $2,000, but in Pennsylvania an additional $6,000 in resources is disregarded.

Spousal Impoverishment Rules: There are special rules that apply to married couples to protect the “community spouse,” meaning the spouse who remains in the community when the other spouse needs nursing home care. The community spouse is protected from impoverishment by allowing them to keep one-half of the couple’s total countable resources, within certain limits. In 2021, the Community Spouse Resource Allowance minimum is $26,076, and the maximum is $130,380.