Question 1

What's the income limit to qualify for nursing home Medicaid in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

NC's general nursing facility Medicaid income cap is approximately $2,982/month, derived by applying the standard rule of 300% of the 2026 SSI federal benefit rate ($994/month) used in NC's aged/blind/disabled long-term-care Medicaid category. This is a derived estimate based on the SSA-published 2026 SSI rate rather than a figure independently confirmed in the current MA-2270 policy manual excerpt, so families should verify the exact current figure with NC Medicaid or a county DSS caseworker before relying on it for planning.

Question 2

How much money can a nursing home Medicaid resident in North Carolina keep for personal expenses each month?

Accepted Answer

NC's nursing facility Medicaid Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) is $70 per month for an institutionalized individual, or up to $140/month combined for a married couple sharing a room in the same facility. Nursing facility Medicaid residents generally must apply nearly all of their remaining monthly income toward the cost of care beyond this allowance, per the NC DHHS MA-2270 policy manual.

Question 3

If my father goes into a nursing home in Wake County, how much of the couple's savings can my mother keep?

Accepted Answer

Under NC's Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) rules, the spouse remaining in the community can generally keep between $31,584 and $157,920 in countable assets, with the exact amount depending on the couple's total countable resources at the time of the Medicaid application (the 'snapshot' date), separate from the nursing home spouse's own $2,000 asset limit. This protects the at-home spouse from having to spend down the couple's entire savings before the institutionalized spouse can qualify.

Question 4

How much income can my mother keep at home in Chapel Hill if my father moves into a nursing facility on Medicaid?

Accepted Answer

NC's Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) rules allow a community spouse to retain between $2,643.75 and $3,948.00 per month in income before excess shelter allowance adjustments, with the institutionalized spouse's income potentially diverted to the community spouse if the community spouse's own income falls below this range. The exact figure depends on the community spouse's housing and utility costs, calculated under the MA-2270 policy manual's shelter allowance formula.

Provider	Based in	Address	County
Brookdale North Raleigh	Raleigh	1200 Carlos Drive, 27609	Wake
Atria Oakridge	Raleigh	10810 Sandy Oak Ln, 27614	Wake
Springmoor	Raleigh	1500 Sawmill Road, 27615	Wake
The Cardinal at North Hills	Raleigh	4030 Cardinal at North Hills Street, 27609	Wake
Magnolia Glen	Raleigh	5301 Creedmoor Road, 27612	Wake
Glenaire	Cary	4000 Glenaire Circle, 27511	Wake

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