Georgia Medicaid for Seniors & Long-Term Care

Updated August 2026

Georgia Medicaid covers long-term care through two main pathways: institutional care in nursing facilities for those who require it, and home- and community-based services (HCBS) for those who meet nursing facility level of care but can remain in a community setting. HCBS options are generally preferred by enrollees and cost the state less than nursing facility placement.

$2,000

Individual asset (resource) limit

SOURCE

Primary HCBS waiver for medically complex seniors

60 months

Asset transfer look-back period

Georgia offers two overlapping home-care alternatives to nursing facilities: SOURCE and CCSP

Georgia's primary HCBS waiver for seniors is SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment), authorized under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act, available to enrollees age 60 and older and to adults 18–59 with physical disabilities who meet nursing facility level of care. The Community Care Services Program (CCSP), administered separately by the Department of Human Services through Area Agencies on Aging, provides similar community-based services. Both programs have limited slots and may carry a waitlist — contact your regional Area Agency on Aging at 1-866-552-4464 to ask about current availability.

How Georgia Medicaid covers long-term care

To qualify for long-term care Medicaid in Georgia, an individual must meet both a financial test (income and asset limits) and a functional test (nursing facility level of care, meaning the individual needs substantial assistance with daily activities). Meeting both tests is required — income or asset eligibility alone is not enough. Georgia processes long-term care applications through the Department of Community Health (DCH) and county DFCS offices, with the level-of-care assessment conducted separately from the financial eligibility determination.

Asset and income limits for nursing facility Medicaid

Georgia applies a $2,000 countable asset limit for a single applicant seeking nursing facility or aged-blind-disabled Medicaid. Assets that are typically not counted include:

Primary residence — exempt if the applicant intends to return home or a spouse or dependent relative lives there; if no exempt relative resides there, Georgia limits home equity to $752,000
One vehicle of any value used for the applicant or their family
Personal belongings, clothing, and household furnishings
Irrevocable prepaid burial plans and burial plots
Life insurance policies with a face value of $2,500 or less (for countable policies, the cash surrender value counts)

Income rules for nursing facility residents differ from standard Medicaid. Most of a nursing facility resident's income — Social Security, pension, and other income — goes toward the cost of care (the "patient pay" or "patient share of cost" amount). Georgia Medicaid pays the remainder of the nursing facility rate. The resident retains a personal needs allowance, currently $70 per month under Georgia's standard, to cover incidental personal expenses.

SOURCE and CCSP: home care as an alternative to nursing facilities

SOURCE and CCSP both operate under Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) authority and provide similar services, but eligibility differs: SOURCE additionally requires the applicant to be eligible for SSI, while CCSP does not carry that requirement. SOURCE covers personal care assistance (bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting), home health aide services, adult day health programs, respite care, care management and coordination, and, in some cases, minor home modifications related to accessibility. SOURCE has limited slots and there may be a waitlist depending on DCH funding levels and current enrollment.

The Community Care Services Program (CCSP), administered by the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) through Area Agencies on Aging, provides similar community-based services to seniors and adults with physical disabilities who meet nursing facility level of care. The two programs overlap in function; the specific services available and the administering agency differ. To inquire about either program, contact your regional Area Agency on Aging through the Aging Services helpline at 1-866-552-4464, or call DCH directly.

Spousal impoverishment protections at a glance

Federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1396r-5) protects the community spouse when the other spouse enters a nursing facility. Georgia applies these protections through DCH and county DFCS eligibility determinations. The community spouse may retain up to a federally set maximum in countable assets — the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) — without those assets being required to pay for the nursing facility resident's care, and Georgia uses the maximum CSRA limit. The community spouse is also entitled to a Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMNA); if the community spouse's income falls below this floor, the nursing facility resident's income can be diverted to the community spouse before paying toward the nursing facility cost.

Protection	2026 amount	Notes
Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)	Up to $162,660	Federal maximum, effective 1/1/2026; Georgia uses the maximum CSRA. Federal minimum is $32,532
Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA)	Up to $4,066.50/month	Community spouse retains income to cover living expenses; floor and cap updated each January (MMMNA itself adjusts each July 1)
Institutionalized spouse asset limit	$2,000	Primary home (while community spouse occupies), one vehicle, and personal belongings are typically exempt

Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)

2026 amount: Up to $162,660
Notes: Federal maximum, effective 1/1/2026; Georgia uses the maximum CSRA. Federal minimum is $32,532

Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA)

2026 amount: Up to $4,066.50/month
Notes: Community spouse retains income to cover living expenses; floor and cap updated each January (MMMNA itself adjusts each July 1)

Institutionalized spouse asset limit

2026 amount: $2,000
Notes: Primary home (while community spouse occupies), one vehicle, and personal belongings are typically exempt

Georgia estate recovery: what it covers and when it applies

Georgia participates in the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) as required by federal law at 42 U.S.C. § 1396p. After a Medicaid recipient dies, DCH may file a claim against their estate to recover the cost of long-term care services received at age 55 or older — including nursing facility costs, HCBS waiver services (SOURCE, CCSP), and related hospital and prescription drug costs. It does not apply to Medicaid services received before age 55.

Recovery is limited to the probate estate; jointly held assets and assets held in certain trust structures may not be subject to recovery, but the rules are complex. Recovery is deferred — not pursued immediately upon death — when a surviving spouse, a minor child, or a blind or disabled child of any age survives the Medicaid recipient, and hardship exceptions apply in some circumstances. Families should contact DCH's Estate Recovery Unit when a Medicaid recipient passes away to understand the claim process, and consult an elder law attorney before making asset transfers.

What Georgia long-term care Medicaid covers

In addition to nursing facility care and the SOURCE and CCSP waivers, Georgia Medicaid covers several other long-term services and supports pathways.

Nursing facility care (indefinite, once medical and financial eligibility criteria are met)
CCSP (Community Care Services Program) — personal care, homemaker, adult day health, and respite at home or in the community
SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment) — HCBS for adults with complex medical needs
COMP waiver — for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
NOW (New Options Waiver) and ICWP (Independent Care Waiver Program) — for people with physical disabilities
Transportation to medical appointments
Personal care home placement (board and care) for qualifying individuals