Medicaid for nursing home and home care in Georgia

Who qualifies

To get Medicaid long-term care in Georgia you need to meet three tests:

1. Care need. You need the level of care a nursing home gives.
2. Income. Your income is within the limit below, or you qualify another way.
3. Assets. Your countable assets are within the limit below.

Limits for 2026

This income limit is often called the Medicaid cap. It is three times the SSI payment and is your income before anything is taken out. The figures come from Georgia's 2026 financial limits chart.

If your income is over the cap

If your gross income is more than $2,982 a month, do not assume you cannot qualify. Ask DFCS about a Qualified Income Trust (also called a Miller trust), a special account for the income over the cap. Ask DFCS what its rules are before you set one up.

Medically Needy

Georgia's Medically Needy program helps people whose income is too high but who have large medical bills. You "spend down" to an income level of $317 a month for one person ($375 for a couple). The asset limit is $2,000 for one person and $4,000 for a couple. Ask DFCS if it covers your type of care.

What counts and what does not

• Income: The nursing home and CCSP limit is based on gross monthly income, before anything is taken out.
• Assets: Your home and one car usually do not count. Ask DFCS about anything else you own.
• Gifts: Giving away money or property before you apply can cause a waiting period before Medicaid pays for your care.

If you are married

If one spouse needs care and the other stays at home, Georgia protects some income for the spouse at home.

The spouse at home can also keep a share of the couple's assets. Ask DFCS for the current amount, since it is not on Georgia's published chart.

The programs

Nursing home care

Medicaid pays the nursing home directly. Most of your income goes toward your care each month. This is called your patient liability. You keep a small personal needs allowance, and some income can go to your spouse at home. Ask DFCS for the current allowance amount.

Elderly and Disabled Waiver: CCSP and SOURCE

The waiver serves frail older adults and people with disabilities who would otherwise need a nursing home. It has two parts:

• Community Care Services Program (CCSP): Case management and service coordination, adult day care, alternative living services (care in a personal care home), personal care, home-delivered meals, and respite care for family caregivers.
• SOURCE: The same kinds of services, plus enhanced case management linked to your primary care doctor. It is for people who need more coordination and oversight.

Both use the same income and asset limits as nursing home care.

How to apply

1. For home care, start with the ADRC. Call Georgia's Aging and Disability Resource Connection at 1-866-552-4464. Georgia has 12 ADRC regions covering every county. The ADRC can screen you and refer you to CCSP or SOURCE.
2. Apply for Medicaid with DFCS. Apply online at Georgia Gateway (gateway.ga.gov), by phone through the DFCS Customer Contact Center at (877) 423-4746, or at your county DFCS office.
3. Get papers ready. DFCS will ask for proof of your income and assets. If you have a Qualified Income Trust, bring the trust papers.
4. Care need. You must be found to need nursing-home-level care.

After you apply

• Report changes in income, assets or where you live to DFCS.
• Answer renewal notices from DFCS by the date they give.
• If you are denied, read the notice closely. It tells you how to ask for a hearing and by when.

Common mistakes

• Looking at net income. The cap is based on gross income.
• Giving money to family to qualify. This can cause a penalty period.
• Waiting too long to call the ADRC. Start early, since home care can take time to set up.

Free help

• Aging and Disability Resource Connection: 1-866-552-4464.
• Georgia SHIP: 1-866-552-4464, option 4, for help with Medicare.
• DFCS Customer Contact Center: (877) 423-4746.

See also paying for a nursing home, Medicare and all benefits in Georgia.

Phone numbers: Free help lines for Georgia agencies

Check what you may qualify for