Benefits for seniors in West Virginia

Medicaid for people 65 and over

The DoHS Bureau for Family Assistance decides who qualifies for Medicaid. The Bureau for Medical Services runs the program.

• If you get SSI: You qualify for Medicaid automatically and should get a medical card from DoHS.
• SSI-related Medicaid: If you are 65 or older, blind, or disabled but do not get SSI, you may still qualify. There is a set income level. If your income is higher, you may be able to "spend down" by counting medical bills you owe.
• Savings and other assets: $2,000 for one person, or $3,000 for a couple.
• What it covers: Doctor and hospital care, medicine, and costs Medicare does not pay.

Long-term care Medicaid. Medicaid can pay for nursing home care, or for care at home through the Aged and Disabled Waiver if you need nursing-home-level care. You must meet medical rules and financial rules.

• Income: Up to 300% of the SSI payment for one person. In 2026 that is $2,982 a month. If your income is higher, you may still qualify for nursing home care if its monthly cost is more than your income.
• Assets: $2,000 for one person.
• If you are married: A spouse who stays at home can keep some of the couple's assets and some income. Under federal rules for 2026, the spouse can keep at least $32,532 and no more than $162,660 in assets.
• Your home: Federal rules set a home equity limit of at least $752,000. Ask DoHS for the exact limit.
• Your share: If you have income, you pay part of your care costs each month.

Estate recovery. After death, West Virginia can recover what Medicaid paid for nursing home care, home and community-based care, and related hospital and drug costs for people 55 and older. Estates worth $5,000 or less are not pursued. Nothing is taken while a spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child lives in the home. Heirs can ask for a hardship waiver within 45 days.

Help paying Medicare costs

West Virginia calls the Medicare Savings Programs Medicare Premium Assistance. You must have Medicare Part A. West Virginia uses the federal limits.

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part B premium plus Medicare deductibles and copays. Income up to $1,350 a month for one person, or $1,824 for a couple.
• SLIMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,616 a month for one person, or $2,184 for a couple.
• QI-1 (Qualifying Individual): Pays your Part B premium if you do not get other Medicaid. Income up to $1,816 a month for one person, or $2,455 for a couple.

Asset test: Yes. Savings and other assets must be under $9,950 for one person, or $14,910 for a couple. A small burial fund is not counted. Some income is not counted, so apply even if you are a little over.

If you get any of these programs, you also get Extra Help with drug costs automatically.

Prescription drug help

West Virginia does not have its own drug payment program for seniors. The main help is the federal Extra Help program. It lowers your Part D premium and copays. You can get it if your income is below 150% of the federal poverty level, about $23,940 a year for one person in 2026. People 60 and older can also get the free Golden Mountaineer Card, a discount card from the Bureau of Senior Services.

Extra state payment with SSI

West Virginia does not pay a state supplement to SSI. Social Security lists West Virginia as having no state supplement program. Your SSI is the federal amount, up to $994 a month for one person.

Food help

SNAP food benefits in West Virginia are run by the DoHS Bureau for Family Assistance.

• Simpler rules if someone is 60 or older or disabled: You do not have to pass the gross income test. You only need to meet the net income limit, $1,330 a month for one person from October 1, 2026. Your household can have up to $4,750 in assets. You can deduct medical costs over $35 a month.
• How to apply: Online at wvpath.wv.gov, at your county DoHS office (dohs.wv.gov/field-offices), or call 1-877-716-1212.
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: Low-income seniors can get a $30 voucher for fresh produce at approved farmers markets each summer. In 2026 the income limit was $2,461 a month for one person. Sign up through your county senior services office. Questions: West Virginia Department of Agriculture, (304) 558-2210.
• Meals: County senior centers offer meals for older adults.

Help staying at home

• Aged and Disabled Waiver: Medicaid home care for people 18 and older who need nursing-home-level care but want to stay at home. It pays for case management, a personal attendant, some nursing and transportation. You can hire your own attendant through the Personal Options choice. A doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant starts the referral. If no slot is open, you go on a waiting list.
• Personal Care Program: Help at home for people who already have full Medicaid and need help with daily tasks.
• Lighthouse Program: Personal care help at home for people 60 and older who need a lot of help with daily tasks but do not qualify for Medicaid home care.
• FAIR (Family Alzheimer's In-Home Respite): Up to 16 hours a week of respite for unpaid family caregivers of a person with dementia.
• PACE: In August 2026 the state announced funding to develop PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly). Ask the Aging and Disability Resource Network whether PACE serves your area.
• Where to start: Call the West Virginia Aging and Disability Resource Network at 1-877-987-3646.

Property tax and housing help

• Homestead exemption: If you are 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, the first $20,000 of the assessed value of the home you own and live in is not taxed. Apply with your county assessor.
• Senior Citizens Tax Credit: If you get the homestead exemption and have low income, you can get back the property tax you paid on up to the next $20,000 of assessed value. For tax year 2025 the income limit was $23,475 for one person or $31,725 for two. It is refundable. Claim it on Form SCTC-A or online through MyTaxes, even if you do not file a tax return.
• Homestead Excess Property Tax Credit: If the property tax on your home is more than 4% of your income, you can get a refundable credit of up to $1,000. For tax year 2025 the income limit was $46,950 for one person or $63,450 for two. Claim it on Schedule HEPTC-1 with your state income tax return.
• Questions: State Tax Division, 304-558-3333 or 800-982-8297.

Help with energy bills

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) helps pay for home heating, with a payment to you or to your utility.

• Who qualifies: It depends on your income, household size, and whether you pay for heat. The limit is set at 60% of state median income. Check the current dollar limit with DoHS; it changes each year.
• When: LIEAP is open only for a short time each winter. In 2026 it opened February 2 and closed early, on February 9, when money ran out. As of mid-October 2026, dates for the 2026-27 winter had not been announced. Some households get an application in the mail.
• How to apply: Online at wvpath.wv.gov, at your county DoHS office, or at a Community Action agency or senior center. Questions: Client Services, 1-800-642-8589.
• 20% Utility Discount: SNAP households with someone over 60, and SSI recipients, may get 20% off gas and electric bills (November to March) and some water bills. Applications are mailed each October. If you did not get one, contact your county DoHS office.

Free help and counseling

• West Virginia SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): Free, unbiased Medicare counseling from the Bureau of Senior Services. Call 1-877-987-4463 or visit wvship.org.
• Aging and Disability Resource Network: Help finding home care, Medicaid waiver help, Extra Help and SNAP applications. Call 1-877-987-3646. Calls to 1-866-981-3276 reach the regional Aging and Disability Resource Center for your area.
• Bureau of Senior Services: The state aging agency. Call 304-558-3317. It runs the Golden Mountaineer Card and works with county aging providers that offer meals, transportation and in-home help.
• Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116 or eldercare.acl.gov to find local aging services.
• DoHS Customer Service Center: 1-877-716-1212 for questions about Medicaid, SNAP and other benefits.

How to apply

Check what you may qualify for