Asset Limits
Medicaid is a means-based program, meaning it employs strict financial criteria when determining whether an applicant is eligible. The applicant, the person residing in the nursing home, can keep up to $2,000 in countable assets. If the applicant is married, the healthy spouse living at home can keep up to a maximum of $157,920 (2025).
Exempt vs. Countable Assets
Medicaid classifies an applicant’s assets as either exempt or countable. While countable assets count toward the asset limitations, exempt assets do not. Here are some of the most common types of countable and exempt assets.
Exempt Assets
- Your home
- One vehicle
- Personal property and household items
- Prepaid Funeral Plans (including cemetery plots and markers)
- Life insurance policies below $1,500
Countable Assets
- Cash, bank accounts, and CD’s
- Annuities
- Investments, stocks, and bonds
- Second homes, vehicles, and land
- Life insurance policies exceeding $1,500
What About Retirement Accounts?
In Ohio, retirement accounts can be countable or exempt assets for Medicaid purposes. It will depend on how the retirement account is structured and whether it is in payout status. We will analyze your loved one’s retirement account to determine its status as part of the planning process.
