You can apply for Delaware Medicaid two ways: online through the state's ASSIST portal, or by phone through DMMA's Medicaid Central Intake Unit. This guide covers both channels, where to get free in-person help, the documents to gather first, the 2026 income and asset limits, and what to expect after you submit your application.

In This Guide

Two Ways to Apply for Delaware Medicaid, and Where to Get Help

Both channels feed the same DMMA eligibility process. Gathering your documents before you start is the single most effective way to prevent delays.

1
Step 1

Apply online through ASSIST

The ASSIST portal at assist.dhss.delaware.gov is Delaware's primary self-service tool for public benefits, including Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and cash assistance. Create an account to save your progress, track your application, and upload supporting documents. You can also apply without creating an account. For seniors applying for long-term care coverage, ASSIST walks through the financial and medical sections of the application in sequence. If your situation is complex (a spouse remaining at home, recent asset transfers, or income above the cap), consider following the online application with a phone call.

2
Step 2

Apply by phone through DMMA Medicaid Central Intake

For the nursing-facility program, DMMA's published instruction is to contact its Medicaid Central Intake Unit at 1-866-940-8963. A representative can explain the eligibility rules, help you understand whether a Miller Trust is needed, and walk you through the documents to submit. This is the better channel when documentation is complicated or income sits above the cap.

3
Step 3

Get free help from the ADRC before or during the application

Delaware's Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) helps families get answers about eligibility, benefits, and how to apply. Its staff work specifically with older adults, people with disabilities, and the family members caring for them, which makes it a good first call if you are not sure whether long-term care Medicaid is even the right program. The application itself is still filed with DMMA through ASSIST or Central Intake, so treat the ADRC as guidance alongside those channels rather than a substitute for them. Ask the ADRC directly what hands-on help it can offer with your paperwork.

What Documents Do You Need to Apply for Delaware Medicaid?

Gather these before you apply. Missing paperwork is the most common reason an application stalls.

  • Identity and citizenship: a driver's license or state ID plus proof of U.S. citizenship or qualifying immigration status.
  • Social Security number for each person applying.
  • Proof of income: Social Security award letters, pension or retirement statements, and recent pay stubs if applicable.
  • Bank and asset statements: checking, savings, certificates of deposit, retirement accounts, stocks, and bonds. The 2026 asset limit for a single long-term care applicant is $2,000 in countable resources ($3,000 for a couple when both apply).
  • Insurance information: Medicare card and any other health insurance details.
  • Medical records: for long-term care, documentation supporting the level-of-care assessment.
  • Miller Trust documents (if applicable): if your gross monthly income exceeds $2,485 in 2026, you must establish a Qualified Income Trust (also called a Miller Trust) before Medicaid will approve long-term care coverage. An elder law attorney can assist with setup.

For long-term care Medicaid applicants, also prepare a five-year financial history. Delaware applies a 60-month look-back to uncompensated asset transfers made on or after February 8, 2006.

Income and Asset Limits for Long-Term Care

Delaware is an income-cap state. For 2026, the long-term care Medicaid income limit is $2,485 per month for a single applicant, set at 250% of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) standard of $994. Delaware has used the 250% standard since October 1, 1994, and it applies to both the nursing-facility and the HCBS-waiver populations. Check the Delaware figure rather than a generic national one, because the percentage a state uses is a state-level choice.

If your gross monthly income exceeds $2,485, you are not automatically disqualified. Instead, you must establish a Miller Trust (Qualified Income Trust) that captures the excess income each month, which is then applied toward your cost of care.

On the asset side, a single applicant is limited to $2,000 in countable resources, and a married couple with both spouses applying is limited to $3,000. Delaware's eligibility manual (DSSM 20310) excludes the applicant's principal residence and adjoining land only if certain conditions are met: the applicant intends to return home, or a spouse or dependent relative lives there during the absence. It also excludes one automobile per household, designated burial funds of $1,500, and a prepaid burial contract that cannot be revoked.

On home equity, do not rely on a single published number. Separately from the residence exclusion, an applicant whose home equity exceeds the federal cap cannot have Medicaid pay for long-term care unless the home is lawfully occupied by a spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child of any age. Delaware's manual points to a cap table (DSSM 20320.7.E) that stops at $525,000 effective January 1, 2012, so the state names no current figure, while CMS publishes 2026 federal home-equity limits of a $752,000 minimum and a $1,130,000 maximum. If home equity is anywhere near these numbers, ask DMMA in writing which cap it is applying to your case before you assume the house is protected.

If You Have a Spouse Staying at Home

When one spouse needs long-term care and the other remains in the community, federal spousal-impoverishment rules protect the at-home (community) spouse so they are not left without income or assets.

Resources. Under DSSM 20910.10 and 20930, the community spouse keeps the greater of the state spousal share or half the couple's combined countable resources measured at the start of the first continuous period of institutionalization, and in no case more than the federal maximum resource allowance, which is $162,660 for 2026.

The floor is genuinely unsettled in Delaware, and we will not print one figure as if it were settled. DSSM 20910.10 still prints a state spousal share of $25,000 (the level set by Delaware Senate Bill 99 for applications filed on or after October 1, 1993), while the same section says the minimum and maximum resource allowances increase each January 1 under federal law, and the 2026 federal minimum resource standard published by CMS is $32,532. That gap is worth more than $7,000 to an at-home spouse, so ask DMMA which floor it applies before you plan around either number.

Income. Delaware does not simply hand the community spouse a flat allowance. It computes the community spouse monthly income allowance as the amount needed to bring that spouse's own available income up to the applicable percentage of the federal poverty level for a household of two, plus an additional amount for excess shelter costs, subject to a cap (DSSM 20995.1.2.1). Two separate federal 2026 standards bound that calculation, and they are distinct figures on different annual clocks rather than the two ends of one published range: the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance is $2,705.00 for all states except Alaska and Hawaii and moves with the federal poverty level each July 1, while the Maximum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance is $4,066.50 and is adjusted each January.

These figures apply only to the institutionalized spouse's eligibility determination; the full mechanics are covered in our Delaware spousal impoverishment guide.

The Five-Year Look-Back and Transfer Penalties

Delaware applies a 60-month look-back to uncompensated asset transfers for long-term care applicants. Under federal law, transfers made for less than fair market value during the five years before applying trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay for long-term care.

The penalty is calculated by dividing the total amount transferred by the average monthly private-pay cost of nursing-facility care in the state; the result is the number of months Medicaid will not cover institutional care. Gifts to family, transfers of property below market value, and similar moves all count. If you made transfers in the past five years, review them with an elder law attorney before applying.

The penalty clock does not start on the day of the gift. For transfers made on or after February 8, 2006, the penalty period begins on the later of two dates: the transfer date, or the date the applicant is eligible for Medicaid and would otherwise be receiving institutional-level care on an approved application, but for the penalty. For a gift made several years ago, the second date is almost always the later one, so no penalty months have run at all yet. This catches families out in an expensive way: waiting for a penalty to expire before applying does not shorten it, because the count does not begin until the person has entered a facility, applied, and met every financial test. Applying is what starts the clock, so delaying only pushes the uncovered months further out.

What Happens After You Apply

DMMA reviews your application and issues a financial eligibility determination. Long-term care applicants also receive a clinical level-of-care screening. DMMA's published medical criterion is that the applicant need a skilled or intermediate level of care as defined by Delaware Medicaid criteria, that is, the level of care a nursing facility provides; confirm the specific functional and clinical determination with DMMA. Both nursing-facility Medicaid and Diamond State Health Plan-Plus (DSHP-Plus), Delaware's managed-care program for home and community-based long-term care, run on this level-of-care requirement. DSHP-Plus is authorized under a Section 1115 demonstration rather than a standalone 1915(c) waiver, so you may see it described either way. The clinical screening runs on a separate track from the financial review, and both approvals must clear before long-term care Medicaid pays.

Federal rules give the state up to 45 days to decide most applications, extended to 90 days when you apply on the basis of disability. Those are ceilings on the agency, not a promise of a decision by that date, and the longer window turns on the basis you applied under rather than on whether a disability determination happens to be involved, so an older applicant applying on the basis of age is on the 45-day standard. Retroactive coverage is available for up to three months before the month you apply, if you were eligible (or would have been on application) when the services were furnished.

This window shrinks soon. For applications made on or after January 1, 2027, section 71112 of Public Law 119-21 shortens retroactive coverage to a maximum of two months before the application month for most enrollees, and one month for the ACA Medicaid adult expansion group. If unpaid care has already been furnished, applying before the end of 2026 can be worth a full extra month of coverage.

Respond promptly to any request from DMMA. Delays in providing documentation extend processing time.

If Your Application Is Denied

A denial is not necessarily final. Read the notice carefully: it states the reason and the appeal deadline. Many denials are procedural rather than substantive and can be resolved by supplying what DMMA requested.

Under federal Medicaid rules, you have the right to appeal an adverse decision and request a state fair hearing. The state must allow you a reasonable time, not to exceed 90 days from the date the notice is mailed, to request that hearing. The denial notice specifies the deadline and the method to file, so check it for any shorter operational window the state sets. If the denial turned on income exceeding the cap, the path forward may be establishing a Miller Trust. Confirm any approach with DMMA or a qualified elder law professional before acting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for Delaware Medicaid online?

Go to the ASSIST portal at assist.dhss.delaware.gov and start a Medicaid application. ASSIST handles Medicaid, SNAP, and other benefits in one place. Create an account to save your progress and upload documents. If you would rather apply by phone, DMMA's Medicaid Central Intake Unit is 1-866-940-8963.

What is the income limit for Delaware long-term care Medicaid in 2026?

$2,485 per month for a single applicant, equal to 250% of the 2026 SSI standard of $994. Delaware is an income-cap state: if your gross monthly income exceeds this figure, you must establish a Miller Trust to redirect the excess before Medicaid will cover long-term care.

What is a Miller Trust and do I need one in Delaware?

A Miller Trust (Qualified Income Trust) is an irrevocable trust that holds income above the $2,485 per month cap. Delaware's own guidance is that an applicant over the limit "will need to establish a Miller Trust in order to qualify." Each month, the excess income goes into the trust and is applied toward allowable expenses. These trusts also carry a state payback requirement on the balance left at death; ask an elder law attorney to confirm the exact terms Delaware requires before you sign one.

How long does a Delaware Medicaid application take?

Federal rules give DMMA up to 45 days to decide most applications, or up to 90 days when you apply on the basis of disability. Those are outer limits on the agency, not a guaranteed decision date. The most common cause of delay is missing documents, so respond promptly to any request from DMMA.

Can the community spouse keep any assets if I apply for long-term care?

Yes. For 2026, the at-home spouse keeps the greater of the state spousal share or half the couple's combined countable resources, capped at the federal maximum of $162,660. The floor is unsettled: Delaware's manual still prints a $25,000 state spousal share while the 2026 federal minimum resource standard is $32,532, so ask DMMA which one it applies. The income allowance is calculated from the federal poverty level for two plus excess shelter costs, not paid as a flat amount, and it is bounded by two separate federal standards for 2026: a $2,705.00 minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance and a $4,066.50 maximum. See our Delaware spousal impoverishment guide for the full rules.

Can someone apply for Delaware Medicaid on my behalf?

Yes. A family member, authorized representative, or person with power of attorney can apply on your behalf through ASSIST or by phone through DMMA Medicaid Central Intake. Confirm the representative paperwork DMMA requires before you file, since a missing authorization is a common reason an application stalls.

Your next step Apply for Delaware Medicaid online through ASSIST, or call DMMA's Medicaid Central Intake Unit at 1-866-940-8963 to apply by phone. For free help understanding your options first, reach the Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center.

Learn More

MedicaidHow to Apply for Medicaid by State: Steps, Documents, and Where to ApplyApplying for Medicaid follows the same federal steps everywhere; the agency and portal are your state's. What to gather, how long it takes, and where to apply. MedicaidDelaware Medicaid: A Guide for Seniors and FamiliesDelaware Medicaid 2026 for seniors: $2,000 asset limit, $2,485/month income cap, Miller Trust rule, spousal protections, and how to apply through DMMA. MedicaidDelaware Medicaid Eligibility and Income LimitsDelaware Medicaid income limits split in two: $2,485/month for long-term care, 138% FPL (about $1,835) for adults under 65. See both tests and the asset rules. MedicaidDelaware Medicaid Spousal Impoverishment RulesDelaware Medicaid spousal impoverishment rules for 2026: the CSRA up to $162,660, the income allowance capped at $4,066.50/month, and the home rules. MedicaidDelaware Medicaid Estate RecoveryDelaware Medicaid estate recovery can reach a home after death, but spouses, children, and caregivers are protected. What DMMA can reach, and what it cannot.

Find personalized help applying for Delaware Medicaid 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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