Georgia Medicaid for seniors and long-term care

Last verified: June 2026

$2,000

Asset limit (individual)

CCSP

Primary home-based waiver

SOURCE

HCBS for medically complex

60 months

Asset transfer lookback

Georgia LTC Medicaid uses entirely different rules than standard Georgia Medicaid — apply through DCH or county DFCS

Long-term care eligibility involves both a financial test (income, $2,000 asset limit) and a functional test (nursing-facility level of care). These rules are separate from the Georgia Families managed care program. Apply through your county DFCS office or contact DCH at 1-877-423-4746. For situation-specific planning, consult a licensed Georgia elder law attorney.

Georgia has an estate recovery program — Medicaid can file a claim against your estate

Georgia participates in the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) as required by federal law at 42 U.S.C. § 1396p. After a Medicaid recipient dies, DCH may file a claim against their estate to recover the cost of long-term care services received at age 55 or older. This includes nursing facility costs, home and community-based waiver services, and hospital and prescription drug costs paid while receiving long-term care. Recovery is limited to the probate estate; jointly held assets and assets held in certain trust structures may not be subject to recovery, but the rules are complex. Consulting an elder law attorney before transferring assets is strongly advisable.

How Georgia Medicaid covers long-term care

Georgia Medicaid covers long-term care through two main pathways: institutional care in nursing facilities for those who require it, and home- and community-based services (HCBS) for those who meet nursing facility level of care but can remain in a community setting. HCBS options are generally preferred by enrollees and cost the state less than nursing facility placement.

To qualify for long-term care Medicaid in Georgia, an individual must meet both a financial test (income and asset limits) and a functional test (nursing facility level of care, meaning the individual needs substantial assistance with daily activities). Meeting both tests is required — income or asset eligibility alone is not enough.

Georgia processes long-term care applications through DCH and county DFCS offices. The assessment for nursing facility level of care is conducted separately from the financial eligibility determination.

Asset and income limits for nursing facility Medicaid

Georgia applies a $2,000 countable asset limit for a single applicant seeking nursing facility or aged-blind-disabled Medicaid. Assets that are typically not counted include:

Primary residence — exempt if the applicant intends to return home or a spouse or dependent relative lives there
One vehicle of any value used for the applicant or their family
Personal belongings, clothing, and household furnishings
Irrevocable prepaid burial plans and burial plots
Life insurance policies with a face value of $2,500 or less (for countable policies, the cash surrender value counts)

Income rules for nursing facility residents differ from standard Medicaid. Most of a nursing facility resident's income — Social Security, pension, and other income — goes toward the cost of care (the "patient pay" or "patient share of cost" amount). Georgia Medicaid pays the remainder of the nursing facility rate. The resident retains a small personal needs allowance, currently $50 per month under Georgia's standard, to cover incidental personal expenses.

Protections for spouses at home: the CSRA and MMNA

Federal law protects community spouses (the spouse remaining at home) from impoverishment when a partner enters a nursing facility. Georgia applies two key protections, updated annually by CMS:

Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)

The community spouse may retain up to a federally set maximum in countable assets without those assets being required to pay for the nursing facility resident's care. In 2025, the federal maximum CSRA is $157,920 (verify the current amount with DCH, as it adjusts annually). Georgia uses the maximum CSRA limit. The minimum CSRA is $31,584 in 2025.

Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMNA)

The community spouse is entitled to a minimum monthly income allowance. If the community spouse's income falls below this floor, the nursing facility resident's income can be diverted to the community spouse before paying toward the nursing facility cost. The exact MMNA for 2025 should be confirmed with DCH or an elder law attorney.

SOURCE waiver: home care as an alternative to nursing facilities

Georgia's primary HCBS waiver for seniors is the SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment) waiver, authorized under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act. SOURCE is available to Georgia Medicaid enrollees age 60 and older, and to adults ages 18–59 with physical disabilities, who meet nursing facility level of care but can remain in the community with support.

SOURCE covers services including:

Personal care assistance — help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting
Home health aide services
Adult day health programs
Respite care — temporary relief for family caregivers
Care management and coordination
Minor home modifications related to accessibility in some cases

SOURCE has limited slots. There may be a waitlist depending on DCH funding levels and current enrollment. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or call DCH to ask about current availability.

CCSP: community care as an alternative to SOURCE

The Community Care Services Program (CCSP) is administered by the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) through Area Agencies on Aging across the state. Like SOURCE, CCSP provides community-based services to seniors and adults with physical disabilities who meet nursing facility level of care. The two programs overlap in function; the specific services available and the administering agency differ.

To inquire about SOURCE or CCSP, contact your regional Area Agency on Aging through the Aging Services helpline at 1-866-552-4464 (the "AAA" or "Aging & Disability Resource Connection" in Georgia), or call DCH directly.

Georgia estate recovery: what it covers and when it applies

DCH may recover costs from the estates of Georgia Medicaid recipients who were age 55 or older when they received certain Medicaid services. Recovery applies to nursing facility care, HCBS waiver services (SOURCE, CCSP), and related hospital and prescription drug costs. It does not apply to Medicaid services received before age 55.

Recovery is deferred — not pursued immediately upon death — when a surviving spouse, a minor child, or a blind or disabled child of any age survives the Medicaid recipient. Recovery is also subject to hardship exceptions in some circumstances. Families should contact DCH's Estate Recovery Unit when a Medicaid recipient passes away to understand the claim process.

The existence of estate recovery does not make Medicaid a poor choice for seniors who need care — the alternative is private pay, which depletes assets with no recovery limitation. But it is a factor that elder law attorneys routinely address in Medicaid planning.

Children with disabilities: TEFRA/Katie Beckett option available in Georgia

Georgia offers the TEFRA/Katie Beckett pathway for children under age 18 with significant disabilities who live at home rather than in an institution. Under this pathway, only the child's income and assets are counted for Medicaid eligibility — the parents' income is disregarded. This allows children with disabilities in higher-income households to qualify for Medicaid when they would otherwise be excluded. Contact DCH or your county DFCS office for details on the application process for this specific pathway.

Spousal impoverishment protections at a glance

Federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1396r-5) protects the community spouse when the other spouse enters a nursing facility. Georgia applies these protections through DCH and county DFCS eligibility determinations.

Protection	2025 amount	Notes
Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)	Up to ~$157,920	Federal maximum; verify current Georgia figure with DCH or an elder law attorney
Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA)	Set annually by CMS	Community spouse retains income to cover living expenses; floor and cap updated each January
Institutionalized spouse asset limit	$2,000	Primary home (while community spouse occupies), one vehicle, and personal belongings are typically exempt

Source: 42 U.S.C. § 1396r-5; Georgia DCH Medicaid long-term care rules. Verify current amounts with county DFCS or a licensed Georgia elder law attorney.

What Georgia long-term care Medicaid covers

Nursing facility care (indefinite, once medical and financial eligibility criteria are met)
CCSP (Community Care Services Program) — personal care, homemaker, adult day health, and respite at home or in the community
SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment) — HCBS for adults with complex medical needs
COMP waiver — for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
NOW (New Options Waiver) and ICWP (Independent Care Waiver Program) — for people with physical disabilities
Transportation to medical appointments
Personal care home placement (board and care) for qualifying individuals

Georgia participates in Medicaid estate recovery (MERP)

After a Georgia Medicaid recipient age 55 or older who received long-term care services passes away, DCH may file a claim against the probate estate to recover costs. Recovery is deferred while a surviving spouse, minor child, or blind or disabled child is living. Hardship exemptions exist. Consult a licensed Georgia elder law attorney before making asset transfers. See the national estate recovery guide for broader context.