Figuring out how to pay for assisted living in Texas is one of the most stressful parts of arranging care, and the honest answer is that no single program covers the full monthly bill.

In 2026, assisted living in Texas runs about $5,600 a month, and most families piece the bill together from personal income and savings, long-term care insurance, VA Aid and Attendance for those who served, and, for low-income seniors, the STAR+PLUS Medicaid waiver, which helps with care services but never room and board., This guide walks through each source so you can build a realistic plan for your family.

In This Guide

What Assisted Living Costs in Texas

Before you can plan how to pay, it helps to know the real number you are planning against. According to the CareScout (formerly Genworth) 2025 Cost of Care Survey, the median cost of assisted living in Texas is about $5,600 a month ($67,200 a year) in 2026, a 7% increase since 2024 and below the national median of about $6,200 a month ($74,400 a year). Costs vary by metro area, and most facilities charge a base rate plus add-on fees for higher levels of care, so a memory-care unit or heavier care needs push the figure up. Treat that median as a planning anchor, not a quote, and ask each community for an all-in monthly price that separates the base rent from the care-level add-ons.

That monthly number is the starting point for everything below: the goal is to assemble enough from the sources that follow to cover it for as long as your parent needs care.

Private Pay

For most families, the hardest moment is realizing the early bills will come out of your own pocket, because most assisted living in Texas is paid for privately, at least at first. Knowing which resources to draw on, and in what order, makes that less overwhelming. The common sources families use are:

  • Income: Social Security, pensions, and retirement-account withdrawals are the steadiest base.
  • Savings and investments: drawn down on a planned schedule so you know how many months or years they will cover at about $5,600 a month.
  • The family home: selling the home, or borrowing against it through a home-equity line or a reverse mortgage if a spouse still lives there, frees up a large share of many families' net worth.
  • Annuities and life-insurance conversions: some families convert a life-insurance policy to a long-term-care benefit or use an annuity to turn a lump sum into predictable monthly income.

Build a written timeline of how long private funds will last. Knowing the month at which savings would run low is what makes it possible to apply for Medicaid in time, rather than in a crisis.

One caution if you may need Medicaid later: turning the home or another asset into cash can backfire. A home-sale or reverse-mortgage lump sum that is still in the bank the following month becomes a countable asset against Texas Medicaid's strict resource limit, and gifts or below-market transfers made to spend down are subject to a five-year look-back that can delay eligibility. If Medicaid is on your horizon, get advice before you sell or transfer anything.

Long-Term Care Insurance

If your parent bought a long-term care insurance policy, it can cover a large part of the assisted living bill, because these policies are designed to pay for the personal and custodial care across settings including assisted living that regular health insurance and Medicare do not. Read the policy for three things: the daily or monthly benefit amount, the elimination (waiting) period (the days you pay out of pocket before benefits start, commonly 30, 60, or 90 days), and whether assisted living, not just nursing-home care, is a covered setting. Most policies begin paying once the insured needs help with at least two of six activities of daily living or has a cognitive impairment such as dementia; most modern policies cover assisted living, but older ones sometimes do not. File the claim early, because the elimination period does not start until the claim is approved and care has begun.

VA Aid and Attendance

A wartime veteran or a surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, an add-on to the VA pension that provides extra monthly income that can be applied to assisted living. In 2026, the maximum benefit runs up to about $2,424 a month for a veteran with no dependents, with higher amounts for a veteran with dependents and a lower maximum of about $1,558 a month for a surviving spouse. Eligibility depends on wartime service, a doctor-documented need for help with daily activities, and income and net-worth limits (the 2026 net-worth limit is $163,699), with a three-year look-back on asset transfers. Because the rules are technical, it is worth applying with help from a VA-accredited representative, found through the VA's accreditation search at va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation, even if you are unsure your parent qualifies.

Paying for Assisted Living in Texas with Medicaid and STAR+PLUS

If your parent's savings are running low, you may be counting on Medicaid to step in, and it is important to know exactly what it does and does not cover before you build your plan around it. Texas Medicaid does not pay the room-and-board cost of assisted living. What it can do, for eligible low-income seniors, is pay for the personal-care and support services portion through the STAR+PLUS Home and Community-Based Services program, which covers help with bathing, dressing, meals, medication, plus nursing, therapy, and adaptive aids for a member in a contracted assisted living facility. The resident still pays room and board, which is set at the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) federal benefit rate minus an $85 personal-needs allowance.

Two catches matter for planning. First, the STAR+PLUS HCBS program has an interest list (waitlist): a person becomes an applicant only when released from the interest list, so it is not care you can count on starting the week you apply. Second, the facility must be contracted to accept STAR+PLUS. To qualify, a person must meet both a nursing-facility level of care and Texas Medicaid's financial rules. If your parent's finances are near the limits, getting advice before applying can prevent costly missteps and timing problems with the interest list.

To get started, get on the interest list and line up intake help through these Texas contacts.

HHSC Long-Term Services and Supports Interest List Call to add your parent's name to the STAR+PLUS HCBS interest list, which runs in the background while you plan. 1-877-438-5658
2-1-1 Texas General intake and referral help finding Medicaid and long-term care services near you. 2-1-1
Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Applies Texas Medicaid's financial and level-of-care rules and administers STAR+PLUS. hhs.texas.gov

How to Pay for Assisted Living in Texas Step by Step

Most Texas families layer these sources rather than relying on any one of them. Work through them in this order.

1
Step 1

Map how long private funds last

Add up income, savings, and home equity, then divide by about $5,600 a month to see how many months or years you can cover before you need help. Knowing the month savings would run low is what lets you apply for Medicaid in time rather than in a crisis.

2
Step 2

File any long-term care insurance claim early

If your parent has a policy, file as soon as care begins, because the elimination period does not start until the claim is approved and care is underway.

3
Step 3

Apply for VA Aid and Attendance if there was wartime service

A wartime veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities may add up to about $2,424 a month for a veteran toward the bill; apply with a VA-accredited representative even if you are unsure your parent qualifies.

4
Step 4

Call the STAR+PLUS interest-list line early

Get on the HHSC interest list well before funds run out so the wait runs in the background; the waiver becomes the backstop for personal-care services once income and assets are low enough.,

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Medicaid pay for assisted living in Texas?

Texas Medicaid does not pay the room-and-board cost of assisted living. Through the STAR+PLUS waiver, it can pay for personal-care services in an assisted living facility for eligible low-income seniors, while the resident covers room and board. The waiver has limited slots and an interest list.

How much does assisted living cost in Texas?

About $5,600 a month ($67,200 a year) in 2026 per the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, below the national median of about $6,200 a month, and varying by metro area and care level.

Can VA benefits help pay for assisted living in Texas?

Yes. A wartime veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, up to about $2,424 a month for a veteran with no dependents or about $1,558 a month for a surviving spouse, which can be applied to assisted living.

How do I get Medicaid help for assisted living in Texas?

Qualify for STAR+PLUS by meeting a nursing-facility level of care and Texas Medicaid's financial rules, get on the interest list by calling the HHSC LTSS line at 1-877-438-5658, then enroll through a managed-care plan and choose a facility that accepts STAR+PLUS.,

Will long-term care insurance cover assisted living?

Usually yes for modern policies, though older ones may cover only nursing-home care. Check the benefit amount, the elimination period, and whether assisted living is a covered setting, and file the claim as soon as care begins.

Learn More

Care TypesAssisted Living in TexasHow to choose an assisted living facility in Texas: check the HHSC inspection record, learn what STAR+PLUS Medicaid covers, and compare 2025 care costs. Care TypesCost of Senior Care in TexasWhat senior care costs in Texas in 2026: assisted living about $5,600 a month, a nursing home about $5,627 a month. Every setting, how it compares, how to pay. Care TypesMemory Care in TexasMemory care in Texas runs above the state's ~$5,600/month assisted-living rate in 2026. What Medicaid's STAR+PLUS waiver covers, plus how to choose a facility. Care TypesNursing Homes in TexasNursing homes in Texas in 2026: a semi-private room runs about $67,525/year, well below the national median. What it costs, how Medicaid pays, how to choose. Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Memory Care in TexasAssisted living vs. memory care in Texas: about $5,600/month for daily-living help vs. somewhat more for secured, dementia-trained care. How to decide. Care TypesMemory Care vs. Nursing Home in TexasMemory care vs. a nursing home in Texas turns on skilled-nursing need and who pays: memory care is largely private-pay; Texas Medicaid covers a nursing home.

Find personalized help paying for assisted living in Texas at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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Brevy Care Team

Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.