Medicaid Long-Term Care Guide in Georgia
Long-term care eligibility, benefits, and how to apply through the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH).
What makes Georgia Medicaid different
While GA Medicaid is jointly funded by the state and federal government, it is administered by the state under federally set parameters. In addition to nursing home care, GA Medicaid pays for services and supports to help the elderly remain living at home or in a personal care home / assisted living facility.
Administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH).
Program Types
Institutional / Nursing Home Medicaid
An entitlement; anyone who meets the eligibility criteria will receive assistance. Benefits are provided only in Medicaid-certified nursing homes.
Level of care: Nursing Home
Medicaid Waivers / Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)
Not an entitlement; there is an enrollment cap. Services and supports are intended to prevent and delay nursing home admissions and may be provided at home, adult day care, or in assisted living.
Level of care: Nursing Home
Regular Medicaid / Aged, Blind or Disabled
An entitlement; meeting the eligibility requirements ensures one receives benefits. While Regular Medicaid is not Long-Term Care Medicaid, some long-term care benefits, such as personal care assistance or adult day care, may be available.
Level of care: Help with ADLs
2026 Georgia Medicaid Long-Term Care Eligibility for Seniors
Institutional / Nursing Home Medicaid*
Medicaid Waivers / Home and Community Based Services†
Regular Medicaid / Aged Blind and Disabled
*All of a beneficiary's monthly income, with the exception of a Personal Needs Allowance of $70 / month, Medicare premiums, and possibly a Needs Allowance for a non-applicant spouse, must be paid to the nursing home. This is called Patient Liability.
†Based on one's living setting, a program beneficiary may not be able keep monthly income up to this level.
ℹIn Georgia, persons who are found eligible for SSI are automatically approved for Regular Medicaid. This includes long-term services and supports via Regular Medicaid, given one meets the functional criteria.
Explore Georgia Medicaid Programs
Compare programs, see caregiver pay rates, get step-by-step application guidance, and check your eligibility — all specific to Georgia.
Long-term care Medicaid guide
Eligibility · Caregiver pay · How to apply · 2026 data
Important: Rates vary — contact your state Medicaid office for current figures. This tool provides general guidance, not legal or financial advice.
Compare Medicaid Programs — Georgia
How the main LTC programs available in Georgia compare side by side.
| Program | Pay | Pay type | Tax-free? | Spouse OK? | Waitlist? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer-directed HCBS | $15–18/hr | Hourly wage | No | Usually no | Often |
| Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) | ~$60/day | Daily stipend | Yes | Usually no | Often |
| Personal Care Agreement | Market rate (from assets) | Private pay | No | Yes | No |
| VA Aid & Attendance | Up to $2,874/mo | Monthly pension | Yes | Yes | No |
Georgia Medicaid programs
CCSP Waiver
SOURCE Waiver
Structured Family Caregiving
Sources: KFF (Jan 2026), medicaidplanningassistance.org (Feb 2026). Programs and rates change — verify with your state Medicaid office.
How Family Caregivers Get Paid Through Medicaid in Georgia
If you're a family member providing care, you may be able to get paid through Medicaid — often at rates comparable to a home care agency.
Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) — tax-free daily stipend
Available in GeorgiaHow to enroll: Contact Careforth (careforth.com) or FreedomCare (freedomcare.com) — both operate in Georgia and handle enrollment at no charge.
Consumer-directed care — hourly pay
Available in GeorgiaHow it works: The person receiving care becomes the "employer" — they hire you and a fiscal intermediary handles payroll, taxes, and paperwork on their behalf. You receive a paycheck just like a regular job.
How to apply: DCH · medicaid.georgia.gov · Careforth or FreedomCare for SFC
Personal Care Agreement — private pay from assets
Available to any familySources: KFF Medicaid Home Care Survey 2025 (Jan 2026), Careforth FAQ (Jan 2026), IRS Notice 2014-7.
How to Apply for Medicaid Long-Term Care in Georgia
What to expect when applying for LTC Medicaid and getting family caregiver pay set up in Georgia. The process typically takes 45–90 days from application to first paycheck.
Apply in Georgia: DCH · medicaid.georgia.gov · Careforth or FreedomCare for SFC
Medicaid Eligibility Screener — Georgia
Answer 7 quick questions — we'll check the financial and care requirements for Georgia and explain what each one means.
What is the marital status of the person who needs care?
Medicaid looks at only the applicant's income and assets — but being married triggers special protections that let the healthy spouse keep significantly more money.
Sources
- CMS Medicaid — eligibility, HCBS waivers, and long-term services medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility
- CMS Medicaid — Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) medicaid.gov/medicaid/home-community-based-services
- Social Security Administration — SSI Federal Benefit Rate (2026 figures) ssa.gov/oact/cola/SSI.html
- CMS — Spousal Impoverishment standards (CSRA & MMMNA) medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/spousal-impoverishment
- CMS — Estate Recovery and the 5-year lookback period medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/estate-recovery
- IRS Notice 2014-7 — Tax treatment of Medicaid caregiver payments irs.gov/individuals/certain-medicaid-waiver-payments-may-be-excludable-from-income
Educational guidance only — not legal or financial advice. Your state Medicaid office determines actual eligibility.
Key Rules at a Glance
- Nearly all income is counted towards the limit, including employment wages, alimony, pension payments, SSDI, SSI, IRA withdrawals, and stock dividends.
- Nationally, Holocaust restitution payments are not counted as income.
- In GA, the VA Aid & Attendance, which is above and beyond the Basic VA Pension, is not counted.
- When only one spouse applies for Nursing Home Medicaid or a HCBS Waiver, only the applicant's income is counted.
- The non-applicant spouse may be entitled to a Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMNA) of up to $4,066.50 / month (2026).
- Georgia sets the MMNA at the federal maximum — if a non-applicant spouse's income is under $4,066.50, income can be transferred from the applicant spouse.
- For Regular Medicaid, the income of both spouses is counted. There is no MMNA for the non-applicant spouse.
Georgia sets its Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance at the federal maximum of $4,066.50 / month.
- Countable assets include cash, stocks, bonds, investments, cryptocurrency, bank accounts, and real estate in which one does not reside.
- In Georgia, IRAs and 401Ks of applicants are exempt if in 'payout status' — meaning the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is being withdrawn.
- IRAs / 401Ks of non-applicant spouses are automatically exempt.
- Non-countable (exempt) assets include personal belongings, household furnishings, an automobile, irrevocable burial trusts (up to $10,000 in GA), and generally one's primary home.
- All assets of a married couple are considered jointly owned regardless of which program one applies for.
- The Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) allows the non-applicant spouse to retain up to $162,660 of the couple's assets (2026).
- The CSRA is not applicable for Regular Medicaid.
Georgia exempts IRAs/401Ks in payout status and allows up to $10,000 in irrevocable burial trusts.
- The home is automatically exempt if the applicant's spouse, child under 21, or permanently blind or disabled child (of any age) lives in it.
- If this is not the case, there is a home equity interest limit of $730,000 (in 2026).
- Home equity is the value of the home minus any outstanding debt. Equity interest is the amount of equity owned by the applicant.
- If neither the applicant nor qualifying family live in the home, the applicant must have 'Intent to Return'.
- There is no home equity interest limit for Regular Medicaid.
- The home is NOT exempt from Medicaid's Estate Recovery Program (MERP). After a beneficiary's death, GA's Medicaid agency attempts reimbursement of care costs through the deceased's estate.
- Georgia has a 60-month (5-year) Look-Back Period for Nursing Home Medicaid and Medicaid Waivers that immediately precedes the application date.
- During the look-back, Medicaid scrutinizes all asset transfers, including those by one's spouse, for gifts or sales under fair market value.
- Violations result in a Penalty Period of Medicaid ineligibility.
- The Look-Back Rule does NOT apply to Regular Medicaid.
- The U.S. Federal Gift Tax Rule ($19,000 per recipient in 2026) does not extend to Medicaid eligibility — gifting under this rule still violates the Look-Back Period.
- MMMNA: $4,066.50 · CSRA: $162,660 · CSRA Min: $32,532
- When only one spouse applies for Nursing Home Medicaid or a HCBS Waiver, only the applicant's income is counted.
- Georgia sets the Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMNA) at the federal maximum of $4,066.50 / month (2026).
- If the non-applicant spouse's income is under $4,066.50, income can be transferred from the applicant spouse.
- The Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) allows the non-applicant spouse to retain up to $162,660 of the couple's assets.
- For Regular Medicaid, both spouses' income is counted and there is no MMNA or CSRA.
- Medically Needy Pathway — The Aged, Blind and Disabled Medically Needy Program allows seniors over the income limit to qualify for Regular Medicaid. The medically needy income limit (MNIL) is $317 / month for a single individual and $375 / month for a couple (2026). The spend-down is calculated for a 6-month period. The medically needy asset limits are $2,000 for an individual and $4,000 for a couple.
- Qualified Income Trusts (QITs) / Miller Trusts — Allow Nursing Home and Waiver applicants over the income limit to become income-eligible. Excess income is deposited into an irrevocable trust. After death, remaining funds up to the amount the state paid for care must go to the state for reimbursement.
- Asset Spend-Down — Spend excess assets on non-countable items such as vehicle and home modifications (wheelchair ramps, roll-in showers, stair lifts), home repair, irrevocable funeral trusts, and paying off debt. Keep documentation as proof the Look-Back Rule was not violated.
- Medicaid Planning — Work with a Medicaid Planning Professional to become eligible and protect your home from Medicaid's Estate Recovery Program.
Georgia Medicaid Programs
Community Care Services Program (CCSP)
Operates under the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP), providing support at home, in assisted living (personal care home), and adult day care. Allows consumer direction of personal care services — participants can choose their own caregiver, including an adult child (spouse excluded).
Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment (SOURCE) Waiver
Similar benefits to CCSP, also operating under the EDWP. To be eligible, an applicant must be eligible for SSI.
Money Follows the Person (MFP)
A federal program that helps institutionalized persons eligible for Medicaid to transition back home or into the community.
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
Georgia is in the process of implementing PACE. The program combines the benefits of Medicaid, including long-term care, and Medicare into one program. Additional benefits such as dental and eye care may be available.
How to Apply
- Apply online at Georgia Gateway
- Apply in-person at your county Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office
- Call DFCS at 877-423-4746
- Contact your local Area Agency on Aging office for program information and application assistance
Before applying, it is imperative that seniors are confident they meet all financial eligibility requirements. For those who do not, or are unsure, Medicaid Planning can play an instrumental role.
More Georgia Long-Term Care Resources
Take the Next Step for Georgia Medicaid
Find out if you qualify or see how Medicaid fits into your overall long-term care plan.
Sources & references
Verified May 2026- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Long-Term Services & Supports
- Administration for Community Living — State Medicaid Agencies
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Medicaid Eligibility
- American Council on Aging — About Medicaid Planning Assistance
- Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) — Georgia Medicaid — Official site