Income can lead to an excess-income obligation
The same 2026 state directive gives monthly Non-MAGI income levels of $1,836 for an individual and $2,489 for a couple (NYS Office for the Aging 26-PI-06).
New York's Medicaid Reference Guide explains that a person with income above the limit may use medical expenses to meet an excess-income, or spend-down, requirement through a pay-in or bill-based method (NYS DOH Medicaid Reference Guide).
2026 resource limits: $33,038 for one person and $44,796 for a couple under the official 26-PI-06 directive. Recheck the current directive before applying because online sources can lag the state's published amounts (
NYS Office for the Aging 26-PI-06).
Spousal figures require a careful current check
The 2026 Community Spouse Resource Allowance is widely reported as $74,820 minimum and $162,660 maximum, but those figures were not independently confirmed against a 2026 DOH GIS in this research pass (Medicaid Planning Assistance New York overview).
The widely reported 2026 MMMNA is $4,066.50 per month, but this also needs direct current DOH confirmation; the directly located DOH attachment reports different 2025 figures (EJ Rosen Law 2026 overview; NYS DOH GIS 25 MA/01 attachment).
Resources are only one part of the eligibility analysis
Resource treatment, income budgeting, care setting, transfers, and spousal protections are separate questions, so a published dollar limit is not a complete eligibility answer. See the Medicaid (Baseline) pillar and compare the much lower general limit described on the Florida asset limits page.
A local DSS or a New York-licensed elder-law attorney should verify current figures and classify property before an applicant spends down, gifts, or files.
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.
