As of 2025, the income limit for a single applicant is $2,901 per month, 300 percent of the SSI federal benefit rate, and the asset limit is $2,000 for a single applicant or $3,000 combined for a couple where both need care. A community spouse can keep between $31,267 and $148,620 in countable assets under the Community Spouse Resource Allowance. These figures adjust annually and should be confirmed with the Ohio Department of Medicaid or an elder law attorney.
The detail behind the program
The numbers matter enormously in practice: a single applicant in Cuyahoga County with more than $2,000 in countable assets or more than $2,901 in monthly income doesn't qualify for nursing home Medicaid without some form of spend-down or planning first.
Married couples get more flexibility through the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, which lets the spouse who isn't entering care keep a protected range of assets, as much as $148,620 as of 2025, so the healthy spouse isn't left destitute.
Because these figures move with SSI cost-of-living adjustments and state budget decisions, a family in Medina or Geauga County working through a placement decision should treat any number here as a starting point for a conversation with the Ohio Department of Medicaid or a local elder law attorney, not a final answer.
Related questions
- Does Ohio's Medicaid expansion pay for a parent's assisted living or nursing home care?
- How does Ohio's Assisted Living Waiver work, and does it cover the full monthly bill?
- What is PASSPORT and how is it different from the Assisted Living Waiver?
- What is MyCare Ohio and which Cleveland-area counties does it cover?
- How do I actually apply for Medicaid long-term care coverage in Ohio?
- What is Medicaid Estate Recovery in Ohio, and can the state take my parent's house?
- Does Ohio Medicaid pay for room and board in assisted living?
