Ohio Medicaid long-term care
The eligibility rules and the actual application path in Ohio. We link to the state agency at every step and we do not submit anything for you.
Quick answer
Does Ohio Medicaid pay for home care?
Ohio Medicaid can pay for care at home through Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs for people who meet a nursing-facility level of care, but eligibility is a two-part test. For institutionalized individuals and HCBS waiver financial eligibility, Ohio’s Special Income Level (SIL) for 2026 is $2,982 per month (300 percent of the SSI benefit for an individual). Regular ABD Medicaid uses a lower need standard of $994 individual / $1,491 couple. Countable resources for ABD are $2,000 single / $3,000 couple on the official 2026 standards sheet. Community-spouse resource protections for 2026 run from a minimum CSRA of $32,532 to a maximum of $162,660. Waiver enrollment also requires Ohio residency, monthly use of at least one waiver service, and person-centered planning. Applications go through county Job and Family Services / benefits channels — not a home care agency.
What this page assumes you are paying for: what care costs in Ohio — hourly, monthly and yearly, each figure with its source.
Who to apply with
Income and asset rules
Special Income Level (institutionalized / HCBS waiver)
$2,982 USD/month (individual, 300% SSI FBR, eff. 1/1/2026)
Published in Ohio Department of Medicaid MEPL No. 191 as the Special Income Level for institutionalized / HCBS waiver eligibility (300% of the current SSI benefit for an individual living in their own household).
ABD Medicaid need standard (community)
$994 USD/month (individual, eff. 1/1/2026) · couple $1,491
Aged, Blind, and Disabled Medicaid need standard for an individual/couple in their own household. This is lower than the SIL used for many nursing-facility and HCBS waiver pathways.
ABD countable resource standard
$2,000 USD (individual) · couple $3,000
ABD resource standard on the official 2026 Medicaid Standards Help Sheet. Waiver pathways still require meeting Medicaid financial requirements; confirm with the county department of job and family services for your specific waiver.
Community spouse resource allowance (CSRA)
$32,532 – $162,660 USD (2026 min–max)
Minimum and maximum community spouse resource allowance amounts effective January 1, 2026 per MEPL No. 191.
Home equity limit
$752,000 USD (eff. 1/1/2026)
Maximum home equity an individual can have in a home under MEPL No. 191 / the 2026 standards sheet. Exceptions can apply (for example a spouse living in the home) — confirm with the county agency.
Community spouse monthly maintenance needs allowance (MMMNA) — July 2026 revision noted in MEPL
Data pending verification. Not yet verified against the state agency for a single publishable figure on this page. We publish figures only after they are checked against the official source, with the source and review date shown. Check the state agency directly in the meantime.
Ohio HCBS waivers are not unlimited entitlements: capacity and wait lists can apply. Meeting the SIL and resource tests does not by itself guarantee immediate waiver services. Transfers of assets can also affect eligibility — ask the county agency or an elder-law attorney.
Home and community based services
- Nursing facility–level HCBS waivers (ODM / ODA)
Ohio operates multiple waivers for older adults and people with disabilities who meet a nursing-facility level of care (including pathways administered with the Ohio Department of Aging). Confirm the current waiver comparison chart on medicaid.ohio.gov.
- Ohio Home Care waiver
Serves people aged 0–59 with physical disabilities in the home (nursing-facility level of care). Program rules are in the Ohio Administrative Code; enrollment still requires Medicaid financial eligibility.
A waiver usually requires meeting both the financial rules and a functional (level-of-care) test. Waiting lists vary by waiver and by year.
How the application works
- 1. Apply for Medicaid through county Job and Family Services / benefits.ohio.gov
Financial eligibility for ABD and related long-term care categories is handled through county departments of job and family services and the state benefits channel. · benefits.ohio.gov
- 2. Level-of-care assessment
HCBS waiver programs require a specific level of care (nursing-facility based for the aging/disability waivers discussed here). Detail pending verification of the exact assessment vendor for each waiver — start with the county agency or ODM waiver pages.
- 3. Financial review (SIL / ABD, resources, spousal rules)
County workers apply the SIL, ABD standards, and spousal impoverishment figures published in MEPL No. 191 and the standards help sheet.
- 4. Waiver enrollment and capacity
Waivers can have enrollment caps. Needing and using at least one waiver service monthly and agreeing to person-centered planning are stated program requirements on ODM HCBS materials.
- 5. Choose services and providers
Service planning is done with the waiver program — not through this website.
Before you file
Common questions
Is the income limit the only test?
No. HCBS waivers also require a nursing-facility level of care, Ohio residency, Medicaid financial eligibility, and ongoing use of waiver services. Capacity limits and wait lists can still delay services after financial eligibility.
Where do I apply?
Through county Job and Family Services / benefits.ohio.gov channels — not through a home care agency. We link official ODM documents and do not submit anything for you.
Related
We are an independent informational and tools site. We are not a government agency, not a healthcare provider, and not a licensed referral agency under California CCR Title 22 or Florida Stat. 429.195. We do not place people into facilities and we do not charge families. Nothing here is legal, medical or financial advice — always confirm current rules with the state agency or a licensed professional.