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	260	97%
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	202	197	98%
Missouri	Medicaid	487	477	98%
Montana	Montana Medicaid	60	60	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	122	95%
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	1,177	1,135	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.