The Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) is the amount of nonexempt assets that the community (or well) spouse is entitled to keep without affecting the ill-spouse’s Medicaid eligibility.

Which of the following defines Medicaid community spouse resource allowance?

What is the Community Spouse Resource Allowance? When one spouse of a married couple applies for Medicaid long-term care, federal spousal impoverishment rules prevent the non-applicant spouse from having too little income and resources on which to live.

What is Medicaid CSRA?

Medicaid: Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) Medicaid law provides special protections for the spouses of Medicaid applicants to make sure the spouses have the minimum support needed to continue to live in the community while their husband or wife is receiving long-term care benefits, usually in a nursing home.

What is a countable asset?

Countable Assets are those that Medicaid will include in the asset total to determine eligibility. Basically, all money and property and any item that can be valued and turned into cash, is a countable asset unless it is one of those assets listed above as exempt.

When to apply for community spouse resource allowance?

The CSRA is usually applied for after the applicant enters a nursing facility, and is based on what the couple’s resources are worth on date of admission. In general, the CSRA is half of the couple’s resources, after excluding those that are exempt under Medicaid rules. Here is how to estimate a CSRA, in five simple steps.

What does institutionalized spouse mean in Medicaid community resource allowance?

Institutionalized Spouse – the applicant spouse, sometimes called the nursing home spouse. The term, “institutionalized” is misleading as the CSRA isn’t only for married couples with one spouse seeking nursing home care. It is also for married couples with one spouse seeking long-term care services in their home or community via a Medicaid waiver.

What’s the maximum amount a community spouse can keep?

The community spouse is entitled to keep up to $26,076 of the couples’ assets even if the amount is greater than 50% of the total assets. In some states, called 100% states, community spouses are entitled to 100% of the couple’s assets up to the maximum resource allowance for their state.

Is there an asset limit for Medicaid community resource allowance?

This means the applicant is limited to a certain amount of assets, which may vary based on state. However, generally speaking, as of 2021, the asset limit for a married senior applicant is $2,000. Assets of a husband and wife are considered jointly owned, and a greater portion of the assets can be allocated to the non-applicant spouse.