What assets can a married couple retain and still have one spouse qualify for ALTCS/Medicaid benefits?
The rules are much more complicated for a married couple where only one spouse will be institutionalized (they become simple againand very unforgivingif both spouses are institutionalized). All assets available to either spouse (for these purposes, community property and other ownership rules are not considered) are added up, and the total divided in half. Total assets must then be reduced to the one-half figure (plus the $2,000 exemption available to an unmarried ALTCS applicant) before either spouse can qualify for ALTCS. To further complicate the calculation, the one-half figure is limited to a maximum of about $110,000 (the precise figure changes each year). There is also a minimum amount which can be retained, regardless of the total of available resources (about $22,000). These concepts, incidentally, are among the most variable from state to statethe Arizona approach may not apply in another state.
