Minimum Income for Community Spouse Will Increase July 1st

The minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance (MMMNA), the minimum amount of monthly income that a community spouse (the spouse of a nursing home resident getting Medicaid benefits) is entitled to receive, will rise from its current $1,966.25 per month to $1,991.25 on July 1, 2015. If the community spouse's income falls below his or her MMMNA, the shortfall is made up from the nursing home spouse's income or by allocating additional resources to the community spouse.

The newly released figure is the least that the MMMNA can be in any state. In some states, the minimum income level may be as high as $2,980.50, a figure that changes every January. (The community spouse may keep any income above the minimum amount, as long as the income is in his or her name.)

For more details on the MMMNA, click here.

For more on Medicaid's treatment of income, click here.