Illinois Medicaid for Seniors & Long-Term Care

Updated August 2026

The Community Care Program (CCP) was established in 1979 under Public Act 81-202 and is operated by the Illinois Department on Aging — not HFS — functioning as a 1915(c) Medicaid home and community-based services waiver. The program currently serves over 133,000 older Illinoisans, per the Department on Aging, making it one of the largest state-run home care programs in the country.

$17,500

Individual asset limit (nursing facility Medicaid)

133,000+

Seniors served at home through the Community Care Program

60 months

Asset transfer look-back period

Illinois splits long-term care administration between two agencies

The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) administers the Community Care Program (CCP), which provides home and community-based services to seniors who might otherwise need nursing facility care. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) administers nursing facility Medicaid, the Supportive Living Program, and overall Medicaid eligibility. This split is unique to Illinois — your contact and application process depends on which program you are pursuing.

The Community Care Program: home-based care for seniors, run by the Department on Aging

To qualify for CCP, a person must be 60 or older, an Illinois resident, have non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less, and have an assessed need for long-term care as measured by the Determination of Need (DON) assessment. The home, car, and personal furnishings are exempt from the asset calculation. Applicants must also apply for and, if eligible, enroll in Medicaid.

In-home service — homemaker aides assist with cleaning, meal preparation, laundry, shopping, and personal care (bathing, grooming, dressing)
Adult day services — structured daytime programs at community centers for seniors who cannot be left alone safely during the day
Emergency home response — a 24-hour two-way voice communication system (medical alert device) for seniors with documented health and safety needs
Automated medication dispenser service — a programmable device that alerts or dispenses oral medications and tracks missed doses

How to start the CCP application process

CCP services are coordinated locally by Care Coordination Units (CCUs), community organizations that are part of the Department on Aging's Aging Network. Your local CCU handles your needs assessment, service coordination, and ongoing case management.

To find your local CCU, use the Department on Aging's provider search at webapps.illinois.gov/AGE/ProviderProfileSearch, or call the Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 (TTY: 711). The CCP application process is separate from HFS Medicaid enrollment — if you are not already on Medicaid, you will need to apply through ABE (abe.illinois.gov) as part of the CCP eligibility process.

Nursing facility coverage and Supportive Living Facilities

HFS directly administers nursing facility (nursing home) Medicaid coverage for eligible Illinois residents. To qualify, a person must meet both functional requirements (needing nursing-level care) and the financial requirements applicable to long-term care Medicaid, which include asset limits that do not apply to standard MAGI Medicaid.

Illinois also operates the Supportive Living Facility (SLF) program, which covers assisted living-style settings as an alternative to nursing homes, combining housing with personal care services for seniors and people with disabilities who need help but do not require full nursing home care. HealthChoice Illinois LTSS covers services for people in these settings who have both Medicare and Medicaid.

Spousal protections apply when one spouse enters a nursing facility while the other remains at home. Federal Medicaid law permits the community spouse to retain the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) and a minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance from the institutionalized spouse's income.

Illinois sets nursing facility Medicaid eligibility using a medically needy income limit rather than the 300%-of-SSI income cap used by many states. For the period effective April 2026 through March 2027, that limit is $1,330 per month for a single applicant. Nearly all of a nursing facility resident's income above a $60 monthly Personal Needs Allowance — plus any Medicare premiums and a spousal income allowance, where applicable — must go toward the cost of care as "patient liability."

Estate recovery: what Illinois recovers after long-term care

Per federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1396p), Illinois is required to seek recovery of Medicaid costs paid for nursing facility care and related services from the estates of deceased enrollees who were 55 or older when they received services. HFS administers the Medicaid estate recovery program.

Recovery is limited to probate assets — property that passes through a will or intestate succession. Assets held in a revocable living trust may also be subject to recovery in some circumstances. A surviving spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child can trigger a hardship waiver that delays or reduces recovery. Estate recovery does not apply to people who received only MAGI-based Medicaid (standard adult or children's coverage) — it is specific to nursing facility care, HCBS waiver services, and related hospital and prescription drug costs paid while an enrollee was in an institutional or waiver program.

Long-term care options in Illinois Medicaid

Beyond the Community Care Program and nursing facility coverage, Illinois Medicaid offers several other long-term care pathways.

Community Care Program (CCP) — IDoA-administered HCBS for seniors 60+ who qualify for nursing facility level of care but prefer to live at home
Illinois Supportive Living Program (SLP) — assisted living-style setting; HFS-administered alternative to nursing facilities
Nursing facility coverage — HFS pays for skilled nursing and long-term care facility stays after the patient's spend-down
I/DD Waivers — Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) and other waivers for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) — available in Cook County and select other areas; combines medical and long-term care into one plan
Medicaid Estate Recovery — Illinois recovers LTC costs from estates of deceased enrollees age 55+ (or any age for nursing facility residents)

Illinois Medicaid long-term care financial eligibility

CSRA and MMMNA amounts are adjusted annually. Consult an elder law attorney for complex asset situations.

Rule	Individual	Married couple
Asset limit (countable)	$17,500	$17,500 (institutionalized spouse) + CSRA for community spouse
Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)	N/A	$143,172 (2026 — Illinois uses a flat standard figure, not a min–max range)
Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance	N/A	$4,066.50/month (2026)
Personal Needs Allowance (nursing facility resident)	$60/month	$60/month for the institutionalized spouse
Asset transfer look-back	60 months	60 months
Primary home	Exempt (while intent to return); home equity limit $752,000 (2026)	Exempt
Vehicle	One vehicle exempt	One vehicle exempt

Asset limit (countable)

Individual: $17,500
Married couple: $17,500 (institutionalized spouse) + CSRA for community spouse

Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)

Individual: N/A
Married couple: $143,172 (2026 — Illinois uses a flat standard figure, not a min–max range)

Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance

Individual: N/A
Married couple: $4,066.50/month (2026)

Personal Needs Allowance (nursing facility resident)

Individual: $60/month
Married couple: $60/month for the institutionalized spouse

Asset transfer look-back

Individual: 60 months
Married couple: 60 months

Primary home

Individual: Exempt (while intent to return); home equity limit $752,000 (2026)
Married couple: Exempt

Vehicle

Individual: One vehicle exempt
Married couple: One vehicle exempt