For 2015 Medicaid applicants, the following financial limitations and exclusions apply:

Community Spouse Resource Allowance: $119,220

This is the amount of countable resources the “at-home” Spouse or Community Spouse at home can keep. This is in addition to other exemptions that the Mississippi division of Medicaid recognizes.

Allowance for an Individual Applicant: $4,000

This is the total amount of countable resources that a and individual applying for Medicaid is entitled to retain.  This is in addition to other exemptions, such as a home and automobile, that Medicaid recognizes.

Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance: $2,980.50

If the community spouse is earning less than $2,931.00, some of the institutionalized individual’s income may be diverted to the community spouse to bring their total gross monthly income up to this maximum amount.

Medicaid Income Cap: $2,199

In the event that a Medicaid applicant has earnings in excess of this amount, they are disqualified from Medicaid benefits in Mississippi.  However, Medicaid applicants whose income exceeds this amount can execute a special trust, known as a qualified income trust or Miller trust which assigns all income in excess of this amount into a trust that can only be used to pay for eligible medical expenses for the applicant or be used to reimburse Medicaid for their payment of such element will medical expenses.

Monthly Personal Needs Allowance: $44

This is the maximum a person in a nursing home is able to keep each month from his or her own income.