Qualify a parent for Medicaid long-term care

  1. Identify the state Medicaid agency and LTC program
    45 min

    Start at the state level: Medicaid is administered by each state within federal rules, so income limits, asset limits and the application itself differ from one state to the next. Everything downstream in this guide depends on finding the right agency and the right program now.

    To do

    • Use the Medicaid.gov state directory. Record the agency name and phone number for long-term care applications.

    • States use different names for the same institutional Medicaid program (e.g. "Medi-Cal", "MassHealth", "STAR+PLUS"). Search the agency site for "long-term care", "nursing facility" or "institutional" Medicaid, not the general health-coverage page.

    • Save the PDF or note the online portal URL. You will complete it in the Assemble and submit phase.

    • Save the direct phone line for long-term care Medicaid applications, not the general member-services number.

    To note down

    Name of your state's Medicaid agency.

    What the state calls its long-term care Medicaid program.

    Phone number for long-term care Medicaid applications.