Medicaid and nursing homes, state by state

Medicaid is the largest payer of long-term nursing home care in the United States. Whether a home accepts it decides where someone can stay once their savings are gone, which is why it is worth checking before anyone moves in, not after.

A state capitol building — Photo: Ken Lund · BY-SA 2.0

State	Programme name	Homes	Accept Medicaid	Share
Alabama	Medicaid	224	218	97%
Alaska	Medicaid	20	20	100%
Arizona	AHCCCS / ALTCS	140	113	81%
Arkansas	Medicaid	221	220	100%
California	Medi-Cal	1,165	1,120	96%
Colorado	Medicaid	210	186	89%
Connecticut	HUSKY Health	191	183	96%
Delaware	Medicaid	44	40	91%
District of Columbia	DC Medicaid	17	17	100%
Florida	Medicaid	694	668	96%
Georgia	Medicaid	356	346	97%
Guam	Medicaid	1	1	100%
Hawaii	Med-QUEST	43	41	95%
Idaho	Medicaid	80	75	94%
Illinois	Medicaid	667	645	97%
Indiana	Hoosier Care	507	498	98%
Iowa	Iowa Health Link	388	384	99%
Kansas	KanCare	296	292	99%
Kentucky	Medicaid	267	261	98%
Louisiana	Healthy Louisiana	266	247	93%
Maine	MaineCare	78	78	100%
Maryland	Medicaid	221	215	97%
Massachusetts	MassHealth	341	330	97%
Michigan	Michigan Medicaid	422	418	99%
Minnesota	Medical Assistance (MA)	338	332	98%
Mississippi	Medicaid	203	198	98%
Missouri	Medicaid	487	477	98%
Montana	Montana Medicaid	61	61	100%
Nebraska	Heritage Health	180	179	99%
Nevada	Medicaid	66	58	88%
New Hampshire	NH Medicaid	73	71	97%
New Jersey	NJ FamilyCare	348	331	95%
New Mexico	Centennial Care	68	66	97%
New York	NY Medicaid	594	589	99%
North Carolina	NC Medicaid	419	400	95%
North Dakota	Medicaid	72	72	100%
Ohio	Medicaid	922	914	99%
Oklahoma	SoonerCare	283	277	98%
Oregon	Oregon Health Plan	128	123	96%
Pennsylvania	Medicaid	656	599	91%
Puerto Rico	Medicaid	9	0	0%
Rhode Island	RIte Care	72	72	100%
South Carolina	Healthy Connections	187	159	85%
South Dakota	Medicaid	96	95	99%
Tennessee	TennCare	303	280	92%
Texas	Texas STAR+PLUS	1,179	1,137	96%
Utah	Utah Medicaid	97	84	87%
Vermont	Green Mountain Care	33	32	97%
Virginia	Medicaid	289	276	96%
Washington	Apple Health	193	189	98%
West Virginia	Medicaid	123	118	96%
Wisconsin	BadgerCare Plus / Family Care	323	317	98%
Wyoming	Medicaid	36	36	100%

How Medicaid eligibility works, in outline

Both income and countable assets have to fall under the limits your state sets. Many people get there by spending down, paying privately until savings are exhausted. There is a look-back period on assets given away before applying, five years in most states, and transfers inside that window can create a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay.

A spouse who stays at home is protected by spousal impoverishment rules that shelter a share of income and assets. These protections are significant, and families routinely fail to claim them.

The rules are complex, state-specific and change. This page is orientation, not advice, talk to your state Medicaid agency, your Long-Term Care Ombudsman, or an elder law attorney licensed in your state.