Assisted Living Facilities That Accept Medicaid

No. Federal Medicaid law bars Medicaid from paying room and board — rent, meals, utilities — in assisted living in every state. You cover that cost from your own income.

Care services only: personal care, medication management, case management, and in some states around-the-clock or nursing help. This runs mainly through your state’s HCBS 1915(c) waiver, state-plan personal care, an 1115 waiver, or Community First Choice — 41 of 47 states surveyed by KFF covered at least some assisted-living-based services this way as of 2025.

Often, yes. Waivers are capped by a set number of state ‘slots,’ unlike nursing home Medicaid, which every eligible person gets. Over 600,000 people nationwide were on Medicaid HCBS waiting lists in 2025, and older-adult and physical-disability applicants waited about 15 months on average.

Most states cap income at 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate — $2,982 a month per individual in 2026 — plus a $2,000 asset limit. Some states set a different waiver-specific number, so confirm your state’s exact limit with your state Medicaid agency before you apply.

Nursing home services — room, board, and care — are a guaranteed Medicaid benefit in every state. Assisted living care coverage is state-optional and delivered through waivers with a capped number of slots, and it never includes room and board, so you can face a waitlist and still owe rent out of pocket.

Not as a standard benefit. Many states cover the care services provided in assisted living through optional Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, but Medicaid does not pay for room and board. Your own income, often Social Security, is expected to cover rent and meals.

Waivers typically cover personal care assistance, medication management, and health monitoring within an assisted-living setting. They do not cover the housing and food portion of the bill. The exact services depend on your state’s waiver program.

You generally must meet your state’s financial limits, commonly around a $2,000 asset cap and a monthly income limit near $2,982 for an individual in 2026, and require a long-term-care level of need. Both the financial and care criteria must be met, and limits vary by state.

Often yes. Because many states cap the number of waiver slots to control costs, eligible people may be placed on a waiting list until a slot opens. It is worth applying early and asking your state about expected wait times.

Look for facilities that participate in your state’s HCBS waiver program, and contact your state Medicaid agency or local Area Agency on Aging for a list. Confirm directly with the facility that they accept the waiver and have openings.