Spousal protections are not a simple couple limit
When one spouse is institutionalized, the 2026 DHS chart says the spouse in the community may be able to retain a portion of resources up to $162,660 under a formula. DHS policy calls the calculation the Community Spouse Resource Allowance and requires the worker to calculate it on the long-term-care spousal resource worksheet (DHS 2026 Medicaid Quick Reference Chart; DHS Medical Services Policy Manual, H-203–H-204).
The chart's $3,000 couple line is therefore not a substitute for a married-applicant analysis when one spouse remains at home. DHS policy also describes a separate community-spouse monthly-income allowance calculation, with federal amounts that change annually (DHS proposed policy packet, H-410).
Home equity and income need separate tests
DHS policy says the LTSS home-equity limit applies to nursing-facility vendor payments, home- and community-based waiver services, and PACE, subject to stated spouse and child exceptions; the policy directs workers to Appendix R for the annual amount. A current consumer eligibility reference lists Arkansas's 2026 home-equity-interest limit as $752,000, while the official chart located for this review does not print the annual figure, so confirm the live Appendix R before relying on it (DHS Medical Services Policy Manual, E-517; Arkansas 2026 eligibility reference).
Arkansas is an income-cap state for LTSS. DHS policy permits a person with countable income over the cap to use an irrevocable Miller Income Trust, but only income may fund it and assets other than income can make the person ineligible under those provisions (DHS Medical Services Policy Manual, H-110–H-111).
2026 published figures: $2,982/month income, $2,000 individual resources, $3,000 couple resources, and a $162,660 published community-spouse maximum. The home-equity figure needs direct Appendix R confirmation for the application date (
DHS 2026 Quick Reference Chart).
Classify before spending down
A bank balance, deed interest, trust, vehicle, or life-insurance policy can be treated differently depending on ownership, availability, exemption rules, and the care category. A current resource inventory and a formal spousal-resource assessment are safer starting points than transferring assets based only on the headline limits.
Not mutually exclusive. Most families combine two or three funding pillars — this one rarely stands alone.
The
Journey Assessment ranks all ten pillars against your specific situation and
recommends the top three.
