Rhode Island Medicaid income limits come in two versions, and which one applies to you depends on your age and why you need coverage. For long-term care, the 2026 standard is $2,982 a month, paired with an asset limit that sets the state apart: a single applicant may keep $4,000, double the usual $2,000. For everyone else (an adult under 65, a parent, a child), the test is Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), which looks at income only and applies no asset test at all.,,

This guide covers both tests: which limit applies to you, Rhode Island's MAGI standards, then the long-term-care rules in detail, from the $4,000 asset limit and the medically-needy spend-down to what a nursing-home resident keeps and what protects a spouse who stays home.,,

In This Guide

Which Rhode Island Medicaid income limits apply to you: MAGI or long-term care

Rhode Island applies two different income tests, and most people searching for the state's Medicaid income limit want the one this guide does not lead with.

  • The SSI-related aged, blind, and disabled (ABD) test. The $2,982/month standard and the $4,000 asset limit covered in the rest of this guide. Rhode Island's rules call it the elders and adults with disabilities (EAD) pathway and define it by who it reaches: elders 65 and older, and Medicare-eligible adults aged 19 to 64. The $2,982 standard is the ceiling for both the institutional ("special income") route and the home-and-community-based waiver route, and it carries a resource test.
  • The MAGI test. For people under 65 who are not disabled and not pregnant, plus children, pregnant women, and parents or caretaker relatives, eligibility runs on Modified Adjusted Gross Income. Income only: federal law bars any asset or resource test for these groups.,

Helping a parent apply for nursing-home or in-home care? The ABD number is yours. Checking a working-age adult or a child in the household? Read the MAGI standards below.

Rhode Island's MAGI income limits for 2026

Rhode Island brands its MAGI coverage for families and children RIte Care. The state expresses its standards as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

Group Rhode Island's 2026 income standard
Adults 19–64 (ACA expansion group) At or below 133% FPL as the state states it, an effective 138% FPL
Parents and caretaker relatives living with a child under 18 Up to 133% FPL
Pregnant women Up to 253% FPL
Children up to age 19 Up to 261% FPL, the same figure for every age band
Separate (non-Medicaid) CHIP program None. Rhode Island covers CHIP-funded children inside Medicaid, at the same 261%

Three details in that table are worth spelling out, because the published numbers do not all line up.

The 133% and 138% adult figures are the same rule. Rhode Island's Medicaid-for-Adults page states the expansion standard as income "equal to or below 133 percent" of FPL, the net base standard. Federal law then applies a mandatory 5-percentage-point income disregard, which is why the effective ceiling is 138% FPL. Both numbers are correct: they describe the same threshold before and after the disregard.,

Children sit well above the federal floor. Coverage of children under 19 is federally mandatory to a minimum of 133% FPL. Rhode Island covers them to 261%, roughly double that floor, at the same standard for every age band, and has no standalone CHIP program: CHIP-funded children are covered inside Medicaid at that same 261%.,

The parent and caretaker figure is not so tidy. Rhode Island's own EOHHS page states 133% FPL for parents with children under 18, while the federal CMS national eligibility table lists the state's parent/caretaker standard at 116%, the Section 1931 net standard. That 17-point gap is not the 5-point disregard: the 133% figure rests on the state's current page, the CMS table is an older snapshot. If a household's income falls between the two, ask the state rather than assuming either answer.

Parents and caretaker relatives: the pathway grandparents look to

For an older Rhode Islander raising a grandchild, this is the one adult pathway that does not depend on being 65, disabled, or childless.

Federally, parents and caretaker relatives are a mandatory Medicaid group, but the floor Congress set is low: under 42 CFR 435.110, implementing Social Security Act §1931, the minimum standard is the state's own pre-1996 cash-welfare (AFDC) income standard converted to a MAGI equivalent, typically far below the poverty line. Rhode Island sits far above that floor: it adopted the expansion and states its parent and caretaker standard at 133% FPL, level with its expansion adult standard.,

Whether a particular grandparent counts as a "caretaker relative" for a particular child turns on the household and relationship rules, which are decided case by case. Rhode Island determines MAGI household composition on tax-filing relationships. Take that question to DHS or HealthyRhode rather than working it out from the percentages.

No asset test on the MAGI side

This is the sharpest contrast with the rest of this guide. Federal law bars a state from applying any asset or resource test to the MAGI groups: expansion adults, children, pregnant women, and parents or caretaker relatives. The statute expressly excepts the SSI-related ABD and long-term-care pathways, which is exactly why the $4,000 limit exists on one track and nothing like it exists on the other. So a 60-year-old Rhode Islander with savings in the bank is not asset-tested at all on the MAGI track, while those same savings would count against the $4,000 limit on the long-term-care track.,

What changes at 65

Rhode Island has adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion, so the new adult group operates here in full. That group is written narrowly: it covers people under 65 who are not pregnant and not entitled to or enrolled in Medicare, at an effective 138% FPL, with no asset test.

One change is coming. Under the 2025 budget-reconciliation law (Public Law 119-21), income and those categorical criteria no longer settle eligibility on their own: states must impose a community-engagement requirement on applicable individuals in the new adult group, no later than the first day of the first quarter after December 31, 2026, or earlier by state choice. Watch for Rhode Island's implementation notices.

For one person in 2026, that 138% ceiling works out to roughly $1,835/month, which is 138% of the $15,960/year federal poverty guideline for a single person in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, which is the guideline Rhode Island uses.,

On the 65th birthday, that pathway closes. The same person is assessed under the SSI-related rules instead, and two things change at once:

  • The income yardstick changes. It is no longer 138% FPL. For long-term services and supports, Rhode Island's standard is 300% of the SSI Federal Benefit Rate, $2,982/month in 2026. Which standard applies to coverage other than long-term care depends on the pathway, so ask DHS which number you are being measured against before you assume you are over it.,,
  • A resource test appears, the test the MAGI groups are barred from applying. For long-term care, Rhode Island sets that limit at $4,000 in countable assets; the underlying SSI standard is $2,000 for an individual.,,

So a 64-year-old who qualified on income alone, with $12,000 in the bank, was not asset-tested at all; at 65, on the long-term-care track, that same $12,000 is counted against a $4,000 limit, and the savings become the obstacle without a dollar of income changing. The cliff has a second trigger unrelated to age: the new adult group also excludes anyone entitled to or enrolled in Medicare, so someone under 65 who reaches Medicare through disability leaves the group the same way.,

If that is your situation, ask about the medically-needy spend-down below. It is what keeps the 65th birthday from being a hard cutoff.

Why the $4,000 asset limit sets Rhode Island apart

For most of Medicaid's history, the countable-asset ceiling for a single aged or disabled applicant has been $2,000, a federal figure frozen since the 1980s. Rhode Island sets its own higher number. Under the Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) financial-eligibility rules issued by the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), whose Medicaid rules make up Title 210 of the state's code of regulations, a long-term-care applicant may keep $4,000 in countable assets and still qualify. That is twice the cushion a single applicant gets in a $2,000 state. When only one spouse needs care, the at-home spouse's share is protected separately through the spousal-impoverishment Community Spouse Resource Allowance covered below.,

One group is carved out of the resource test altogether: an ACA expansion adult seeking Medicaid LTSS is exempt from it, so the $4,000 ceiling does not apply to them. For everyone else on the long-term-care track, it does.

The limit counts only countable assets. Rhode Island applies the SSI exclusion method, which leaves a long list of property out of the count: the home (excluded if its equity is at or below the equity limit), one vehicle used as the primary source of transportation, regardless of value, and household goods and personal effects. Burial money is excluded too, but only up to a dollar limit: burial funds of $1,500 for an individual, $3,000 for a couple, or $4,000 for a person seeking medically-needy eligibility, plus an irrevocable burial contract up to $15,000. Anything above those figures counts. So the $4,000 applies to things like bank balances, a second car, and investments, not the roof over your head.

Rhode Island Medicaid income limits and how the test works

Rhode Island sets its 2026 income limit for nursing-facility and home-and-community-based waiver coverage at $2,982/month, equal to 300% of the 2026 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Federal Benefit Rate of $994.,

Being over that number does not automatically disqualify you. Rhode Island runs a medically-needy pathway, so an applicant above the standard can still qualify by spending down the excess: once you have incurred enough in allowable expenses over the state's one-month budget period to absorb the income above the limit, Medicaid covers the rest. Allowable expenses are the medically necessary health expenses of the beneficiary (and a spouse or dependents, where applicable) that no third party is liable to pay.

That route has a ceiling worth knowing: to qualify as medically needy, total countable income must be at or below the projected cost, at the private-pay rate, of the long-term care the person is seeking or receiving. Income above that projected cost is above the medically-needy pathway too. So someone a few hundred dollars over the $2,982 standard is not shut out; someone whose income exceeds the cost of the care itself is.

This is also why Rhode Island is not a strict income-cap state. Where a cap is applied strictly, an applicant a dollar over it is shut out unless they route the excess through a special trust, a Qualified Income Trust, often called a Miller Trust. Rhode Island's rules resolve excess income differently: every long-term-care applicant above the Federal cap is automatically evaluated for the medically-needy pathway. Whether a trust has any role in one particular case is a question for EOHHS or an elder-law attorney, not something the eligibility rules settle.

Long-term care: what a nursing-home resident keeps

When Rhode Island Medicaid pays for nursing-facility care, the resident contributes almost all of their monthly income toward the cost of that care. What they keep is the Personal Needs Allowance (PNA), money for the resident's own small expenses such as clothing, a haircut, or a phone. Rhode Island sets its nursing-facility PNA at $75/month, the $30 federal minimum plus a $45/month state supplement; a veteran receiving the VA improved pension gets $90/month instead., It is a post-eligibility deduction for a beneficiary residing in a nursing facility, an ICF/ID, or a hospital providing long-term services, not a payment to someone receiving care at home. (For how the allowance works nationally, see our explainer on the Medicaid personal needs allowance.)

The same $4,000 asset limit applies to nursing-home applicants, and a resident with substantial monthly income can still qualify up to the ceiling above; they simply contribute more of it toward care.

The five-year look-back

Rhode Island reviews asset transfers made in the 60 months before a long-term-care application., Giving away money or property for less than fair market value in that window, gifting a grandchild a down payment or signing a house over to a child for a dollar, can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid won't pay for long-term care, even though you're otherwise eligible.

There are legitimate exceptions (transfers between spouses, transfers to a disabled child, certain caregiver-child home transfers) and legitimate planning approaches, but anything done inside the five-year window deserves an elder-law attorney's review first. For the broader toolkit, see our guide to Medicaid planning strategies.

Protecting the spouse who stays home

When one spouse needs long-term care and the other remains in the community, federal spousal-impoverishment rules keep the at-home spouse from being left destitute. Rhode Island applies the federal framework for 2026:,,

Protection 2026 Amount What it does
Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) Half the couple's countable assets, up to $162,660 (minimum $32,532) The most in countable assets the at-home spouse may keep, on top of the applicant's own limit.
Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMNA) $2,705.00 (effective 7/1/2026 through 6/30/2027), rising to a maximum of $4,066.50 (effective 1/1/2026) The most monthly income the at-home spouse may keep; income can be shifted from the applicant to reach it.
Home-equity limit $752,000 (the 2026 federal minimum, which Rhode Island applies) Equity in the primary residence above this amount is countable for long-term-care eligibility.

So a married couple is in a very different position from a single applicant: the community spouse can hold assets and income at those levels while the other spouse receives Medicaid-funded care.

After death: estate recovery

Rhode Island runs a Medicaid estate-recovery program, and its own statute reaches further than the federal floor. Federal law requires recovery from the estate of a recipient who was 55 or older when they received nursing-facility, home-and-community-based, and related hospital and prescription-drug services. R.I. Gen. Laws § 40-8-15 goes wider: the total Medicaid paid for a beneficiary who was 55 or older at the time of receipt becomes a lien on the estate in favor of EOHHS, not just the long-term-care spending. The lien does not attach against the estate of a beneficiary survived by a spouse, a child under 21, or a child who is blind or permanently and totally disabled, and EOHHS must waive it in whole or in part for undue hardship. See our Medicaid estate recovery explainer for where families have room to plan.

How to apply in Rhode Island

A long-term-care applicant completes the DHS Application for Assistance plus the supplemental LTSS forms.

1
Step 1

Gather your financial documents

Pull together recent bank statements, proof of income (Social Security, pension), and records of any asset transfers in the last five years, since Rhode Island reviews transfers made in the 60 months before an application.,

2
Step 2

Submit your application

Apply online through HealthyRhode, the state's benefits portal, or by mail to RI DHS, P.O. Box 8709, Cranston, RI 02920-8787. EOHHS also takes a paper application in person, by telephone, or by fax.

3
Step 3

Complete the clinical assessment

Long-term-care applicants also meet a functional "level of care" test, separate from the financial review.

4
Step 4

Apply even if you think you're over the limit

Between the $4,000 asset rule and the medically-needy spend-down, many people who assume they are disqualified are not.

HealthyRhode Benefits Portal Apply online for Rhode Island Medicaid and other assistance programs. healthyrhode.ri.gov
Rhode Island DHS Call Center Apply by phone or ask questions about your application. 1-855-697-4347
RI Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Long-term services and supports information. eohhs.ri.gov/Consumer/ConsumerInformation/Healthcare/LongTermServicesandSupports/HomeandCommunityBasedServices.aspx

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Rhode Island Medicaid income limits in 2026?

It depends which test applies. For long-term care (nursing-facility and home-and-community-based waiver coverage), the 2026 limit is $2,982/month, equal to 300% of the SSI Federal Benefit Rate, plus a $4,000 asset limit. Income above that does not automatically disqualify you: the medically-needy pathway lets you spend down the excess on allowable medical costs. For everyone else, eligibility runs on Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) with no asset test: adults 19–64 at 133% of the Federal Poverty Level as the state states it (an effective 138% FPL), parents and caretaker relatives at 133% FPL, pregnant women at 253% FPL, children up to age 19 at 261% FPL.

Do the Rhode Island Medicaid income limits apply an asset test?

Only on one side. The MAGI groups (adults under 65, children, pregnant women, parents and caretaker relatives) face no asset test at all; federal law bars one. The aged, blind, and disabled long-term-care pathway does apply one: $4,000 in countable assets.

Why did my Rhode Island Medicaid coverage change at 65?

The ACA expansion adult group covers only people under 65 who are not enrolled in Medicare, at an effective 138% FPL with no asset test. On your 65th birthday that pathway closes and you are assessed on the SSI-related aged, blind, and disabled track instead. The yardstick is no longer 138% FPL: for long-term services and supports it becomes 300% of the SSI Federal Benefit Rate, $2,982/month in 2026, and for other coverage it depends on the pathway, so ask DHS which number you are measured against. A resource test also appears that never applied before, so someone can be over both tests at 65 without their income changing. Ask DHS about the medically-needy spend-down.

What is the Rhode Island Medicaid asset limit?

A single long-term-care applicant may keep $4,000 in countable assets, double the $2,000 limit most states use. When only one spouse needs care, the at-home spouse's assets are protected separately under the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, not by a single combined figure. The home (if equity is at or below the equity limit), one vehicle used as the primary source of transportation, and household goods and personal effects are exempt. Burial money is exempt only up to a limit: $1,500 in burial funds for an individual ($3,000 for a couple, $4,000 for a person seeking medically-needy eligibility), plus an irrevocable burial contract up to $15,000.

Does Rhode Island require a Miller Trust (Qualified Income Trust)?

Rhode Island is not a strict income-cap state, and a strict cap is what forces the trust route elsewhere. Its rules handle income above its own $2,982 standard by automatically evaluating every such long-term-care applicant for the medically-needy pathway: you can qualify there if your countable income is at or below the projected cost, at the private-pay rate, of the care you are seeking, spending down the excess on allowable medical expenses over a one-month budget period. Whether a trust would help in your own case is a question for EOHHS or an elder-law attorney.

How much can a spouse keep when the other goes into a nursing home?

For 2026, the at-home (community) spouse can keep up to $162,660 in countable assets (the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, minimum $32,532) and monthly income up to the federal Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance, which ranges from $2,705.00 (effective 7/1/2026) to a maximum of $4,066.50 (effective 1/1/2026). The home is also generally protected up to $752,000 of equity, the 2026 federal minimum home-equity limit that Rhode Island applies.

What does a nursing-home resident on Rhode Island Medicaid keep?

A Personal Needs Allowance of $75/month, the $30 federal minimum plus a $45/month state supplement, or $90/month for a veteran receiving the VA improved pension. The rest of the resident's monthly income goes toward the cost of care, after deductions for a community spouse and certain health-insurance premiums.

How do I apply for Rhode Island Medicaid?

Apply online through HealthyRhode at healthyrhode.ri.gov, or by phone at 1-855-697-4347. Long-term-care applicants also meet a functional level-of-care test. Apply even if you think you're over the limit: the $4,000 asset rule and the spend-down pathway qualify many people who assume they don't.

Learn More

MedicaidMedicaid Income Limits by State: Which Number Applies to YouMedicaid income limits depend on your pathway: expansion adults, aged and disabled, or nursing-home care. See the 2026 figures and your state's exact limits. MedicaidMedicaid Planning StrategiesSee which assets you keep, how the 5-year look-back works, and the legal moves that qualify you for Medicaid long-term care without losing the house. MedicaidHow Medicaid Estate Recovery WorksMedicaid estate recovery explained: federal law, 51-state matrix, categorical protections, hardship waivers, and 2025-2026 reform updates. Verify before acting. MedicaidThe Medicaid Personal Needs Allowance, ExplainedHow the Medicaid Personal Needs Allowance works in 2026: the $30 federal floor, state figures from $30 to $200, and how patient liability is calculated.

Find personalized help working through Rhode Island Medicaid eligibility for your family 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.