Missouri Medicaid Long Term Care Eligibility for 2025

Missouri Long Term Care

Missouri’s Medicaid program offers vital long-term care support for seniors who cannot afford the care they need. Applicants must meet strict eligibility requirements based on income, assets, and medical necessity. Senior Planning assists families in navigating these rules, ensuring a smoother application process and peace of mind.

Eligibility for 2025

To qualify for Medicaid long-term care in Missouri, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Residency and Citizenship: The applicant must be a Missouri resident and either a U.S. citizen or have proper immigration status.
Age/Disability: The applicant must be 65 years or older, blind, or disabled. Applicants must also meet medical requirements consistent with the level of care needed and require care for at least 30 consecutive days.
Income Limitations: Single applicants must allocate their income, excluding a $50 personal needs allowance, toward care costs. Married applicants may be subject to spousal income allowances (detailed below).
Asset Limitations: Countable assets must not exceed $2,000 for individuals or $4,000 for married couples. Non-exempt assets must be liquidated and applied toward care costs. Missouri enforces a 5-year look-back rule to penalize improper asset transfers.

Senior Planning provides expert assistance in identifying exempt assets, navigating spend-down rules, and ensuring compliance with Medicaid’s eligibility criteria.

Exempt Assets for 2025

Missouri divides assets into exempt and countable categories. Exempt assets do not count toward eligibility, while countable assets must be spent down. Key exempt assets include:

$2,000 or less: Cash or other liquid assets for single applicants. Married couples can retain $4,000.
One home: Exempt if the equity value is under $730,000, and the applicant intends to return or if a spouse, child under 21, or disabled dependent resides there.
One car: No equity limit.
Prepaid funeral plans: Up to $9,999 are exempt.
Life insurance: Policies with a total face value of $1,500 or less per person are exempt. Term policies are excluded regardless of value.
Personal property: Items with an equity value under $5,000.

Senior Planning offers free consultations to help families understand how to protect assets while ensuring Medicaid eligibility.

Spousal Rules for 2025

Community Spouse Asset Allowance: The community spouse may retain up to $157,920 in countable resources. If assets are below $31,584, additional resources may be transferred from the institutionalized spouse.

Community Spouse Income Protection: The community spouse may retain income if their own is below $3,948/month. Missouri follows the “income first” rule, meaning the institutionalized spouse’s income is factored into the community spouse’s needs before asset adjustments are made.

Spend Down Coverage in 2025

Spend down is a method to meet Medicaid eligibility by reducing countable income to below the state’s threshold. This can be accomplished by:

Submitting incurred medical expenses to the appropriate Family Support Division (FSD) office.
Paying the monthly spend down amount directly to the Missouri HealthNet Division.

Senior Planning helps applicants manage spend-down requirements, ensuring continuous Medicaid coverage and minimizing out-of-pocket costs.

How to Apply for Missouri Medicaid

Applicants can apply for Missouri Medicaid through the Missouri Medicaid Portal or by contacting the Family Support Division. Senior Planning provides comprehensive application assistance to ensure all required documents are complete and submitted accurately, reducing delays and improving approval rates.